Dear Mariam: Marina Khachaturyan Appeals to Mariam Pashinyan

The former member of the "Yerkir Tsirani" party and former member of Yerevan’s Council, Marina Khachaturyan, has posted a message on her Facebook page.

“Dear Mariam, I wouldn’t write this letter if I hadn’t witnessed the various reactions and comments on your post online. I must say that unfortunately, most of those comments correspond to reality. Today, while presenting the truth, I still want to encourage you. As a result of your parents' incompetent politics, we will face great disappointment from society, which will lead to an increase in emigration. Yes, we are on the brink of losing our country, and we cannot afford to make mistakes. The reason is that those who have come to power do not understand their place and role, do not possess the art of governing a state, and fall into the traps of state management like little beasts.

There is no need to be surprised that people want to live and provide their children with a piece of bread. There is no need to be surprised that I criticize the waste of public funds and raise issues that concern them. People believed in your parents, overcame their fears, and took to the streets.

As a result, only negative changes have been observed in their situation, while the new rulers have come and are plundering our country. The dissatisfaction is justified. Despite the irreconcilable differences in political views between my parents and yours, I firmly believe that children should not be mixed into any political processes. Every child of the Armenian nation should be ours, far from dirt, gossip, provocation, and danger.

You know, back in the day, when your parents urged and organized, they intimidated Edward Sharmazanov, and his children were very hurt. When your parents brought Zahra Postanjyan down from the stage, who was preparing the people for uprising in the cities and villages of Armenia before the famous march, and handed the microphone to apolitical emcees, her children were also hurt. You probably know that in 2017, during the fight at Yerevan City Council session, I left my conflict with those who beat me in the past. Yes, Mariam, I have withdrawn my complaint. And do you know why? Because they were to pay a significant sum to the state treasury as punishment. Do you understand? They were to take it from their children's mouths and pay large sums to the state, which your parents would later share as bonuses.

And I am against such a course of action. Realizing the risk of my name and reputation declining, I could not deprive children of their bread. Probably, at that time you also thought different things about me, you heard colorful criticisms, and you promised yourself that you wouldn’t become like me. However, regardless of my political views, ideas, principles, and conflicts (which I will not retreat from), I believe that every child in our country should walk with their heads held high and be proud of being Armenian. Our actions affect not only our children but also our parents. They endure every insult and offense more severely than we do, but they loudly encourage us, believe in our ideas, devotion to the nation, and actions. We are also responsible for causing pain to our parents.

I have fought until the change of power and after, against injustice and anti-state actions, and I will continue to fight. Unfortunately, I must note that the leadership of your parents has been marked by a culture of insults on Facebook and the formation of a stifling atmosphere. And the boomerang brings back both good and bad. Probably this letter will also be surrounded by lavish insults and criticisms. And although I have serious political disagreements with your parents, I love you as a child of my nation and I am ready to defend you as I would defend my own child, as I would defend any child of our nation. Do not be upset and take care...”