Protests in Armenia rock Moscow leadership

By Bernard Guetta

She looked fucked up. The only candidate in the race, Nicole Pashinyan, the man who embodys the Armenian opposition on 1 May, should have become prime minister after three weeks with major popular demonstrations.

It seemed finished, because the president at the helm of this former Soviet republic, independent since 1991, Serzh Sargsyan, had opponents most of the three million Armenians, trying to stay in power for more than two consecutive mandates, allowing the Constitution.

Sargsyan passed Armenia from a presidential system to a parliamentary system, later appointed prime minister by parliament, controlled by his party. Technically, the law has not been violated, but the spirit of the Constitution has been clearly violated. So the protests had forced Sargsyan to step down on April 23rd, leaving green light for Nicole Pashiyan, a 42-year-old former journalist known for his eloquence, courage and elegantness, a kind of Robin Hood, a master in the art of denouncing corruption, unemployment, large assets of a small group of elected representatives, and the misery of most people.

Apel for a total impasse

She looked fucked up. The majority party should have allowed Pashiyan to take over governance because it was the only way to restore peace. But no. Robin Hood did not receive the long-awaited parliamentary majority. Surprised and indignant as the crowd that was preparing to celebrate, he immediately sought out on May 2nd and calling for non-violence a total blockade of the country, roads, stations and airports.

A small country between Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan may be on the verge of revolution, driven by a desire for rebellion against social injustice, and rejection of a man and a party, who do not want to issue.

Since the Armenian diaspora is very present in many countries, among which France, this crisis will not go unnoticed, and it will make much more noise, seeing it represent a real dilemma for Russia, the former defence power of Armenia and guarantee of its security in front of the West, for Turkey, which continues to reject Armenian genocide a century ago, and Azerbaijan, from which Armenians claim since 1988, the enclave of Nagor Karabakh.

Armenia desperately needs Russia to leave. Nicole Pasinyan keeps repeating it, but Vladimir Putin does not view a people in Russian orbit who want to get rid of his leaders, accusing them of spreading corruption and provoking human misery. In fact, this kind of movement is at risk of bringing strange ideas to someone, even in Russia. / France Inter World.al