Hayk Babukhanyan: Armenia needs a referendum and a clear "Yes" to a union with Russia!
Nikol Pashinyan's turn toward the West has already led to protests in Armenia by workers of closed enterprises and farmers dissatisfied with the fact that they can no longer sell their products on the Russian market as before.
The situation was commented on for PolitNavigator by the chairman of the Constitutional Law Union party, Hayk Babukhanyan.
What's really happening, and could this lead to a mass movement against Pashinyan?
In reality, the following situation has developed in Armenia. The elections were practically a sham, in that the elected National Assembly will have virtually no influence on either domestic or foreign policy in the country. The situation is being decided on a completely different level: Armenia's foreign policy choice—the Eurasian Union or the European Union.
The opposition parties that entered parliament have not spoken out on this issue, and they did not speak about it either during the election campaign or, especially, now.
As for Pashinyan, although he's trying to balance between Russia and the EU, he's actually passing laws that are pulling us closer to the EU. Although this process is very lengthy and, it seems, not entirely feasible.
The real opposition is made up of those forces that initiated the referendum to guarantee that Armenia would not take steps that contradict our commitments to the EAEU. This is the "Civic Initiative – Eurasian Alliance," which currently includes the Alliance party, our Constitutional Law Union party, and other parties and public associations are joining.
As for ordinary people, they are, of course, outraged by what's happening. Protests are underway because producers—including fish factories, farmers, agricultural processing plants, and mineral water and alcoholic beverage producers—can't sell their products.
It's clear that as soon as Russia closed its markets to Nikol Pashinyan, these people began to wonder how to continue their business and what to do next. And they are the ones who can join our initiative. I hope this will lead to a mass movement that will lead to a pan-Armenian referendum on where Armenia should go—the EU or the EAEU.
Could repressions be applied not only to the opposition, but also to ordinary farmers and workers?
Yes, the authorities do understand that social unrest could lead to serious consequences, and they currently lack solutions or a roadmap for how to resolve this situation. This is because all attempts to sell Armenian products on the European market have not yet yielded tangible results, and they are unlikely to do so anytime soon.
Therefore, the authorities are resorting to their favorite methods of intimidation, especially since the people are witnessing how they are dealing with Gagik Tsarukyan, who owns a group of factories and plants and also leads the opposition Prosperous Armenia party. His property is being confiscated, and his votes are being taken away to prevent his party from entering parliament.
Of course, there will be repression against anyone who poses a threat to the government.
To what extent can such events lead to a socio-political crisis?
The worsening socioeconomic situation could lead to widespread public discontent. This is exacerbated by concerns that Russia could raise gas prices or shut off supplies altogether.
On the other hand, a new opposition is emerging, distinct from Karapetyan's "Strong Armenia," as it includes experienced politicians who have advocated for Eurasian integration for years. And it offers solutions—the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, new Armenian-Russian political alliances, and so on.
And this shows a certain path for those dissatisfied masses seeking resolution to their problems. Therefore, social discontent, on the one hand, and a new opposition, on the other, can lead to political results.
What will be the results? I can only predict that we'll manage to collect 200 signatures, hold a referendum, and clearly define Armenia's foreign policy direction toward the EAEU. I hope the people will support us in this, and then Pashinyan will face a political crisis.
After this, I believe Pashinyan will be forced to call snap elections, and the new opposition, represented by the Civil Initiative – Eurasian Alliance, will take power and reconsider the negative decisions that led to the current economic consequences.
What steps are being taken now to hold the referendum?
On behalf of the Coordination Council, I reached out to the opposition parties that made it into parliament—Karapetyan's Strong Armenia party and Kocharyan's Armenia bloc. I also invited them to participate in our council's work, in the preparation and conduct of the referendum. We are now awaiting their response.
At the same time, I appealed to all political parties, public organizations, and associations of exporters to also take part in organizing the referendum.
We've already received numerous responses from interested parties who are willing to collaborate with us, join the Coordination Council, and work on collecting signatures and raising awareness among the public.
English version :: Read in English Hayk Babukhanyan: Armenia needs a referendum and a clear "Yes" to a union with Russia!