Pashinyan and Mikayelyan's Heads Cannot 'Cook in the Same Pot'. It's Time to Draw Conclusions, Irates

The Irates newspaper writes: "It is already evident that internal upheavals and divisions within the 'Civil Contract' party are a fact. Sasun Mikayelyan discussed the upheavals yesterday. Just a year ago, Mikayelyan, who is the party's founding member and chairman of its board, was not even elected as a board member (it is clear under whose instructions). Yesterday, Sasun Mikayelyan made quite significant remarks regarding being sidelined within the party. He hinted to Nikol Pashinyan that political victories were achieved during his term as chairman, and now it is necessary to 'learn lessons from the Velvet Revolution; otherwise, the Velvet Revolution will turn into a Velvet Dismissal.' This, in a way, also sounds like a threat, proving that Mikayelyan's faction is dissatisfied with the government's policies and demands lessons learned, yet it appears no one is listening to him.

Another significant aspect further illustrates that Pashinyan and Mikayelyan's heads cannot cook in the same pot. Nikol Pashinyan stated yesterday: 'The most important mission of the law enforcement system is to shine a red light on the past, in a metaphorical sense as well, and to shine a green light towards the future, ensuring access to a protected, legal future.' Thus, Pashinyan is once again rejecting everything that has happened in the past, drawing another divider that is increasingly deepening and burning all previous paths.

Mikayelyan, who has been rejected, responds: 'A system has been formed over these years, and there are people who have undergone that system, who have conducted themselves properly and worked. Now, are we here to change people, or are we here to change men?' You understand, we all know under what pressures and administrative levers people were forced to work in that manner.' Indeed, Mikayelyan himself is a 'product' of that previous system, having been a close associate of Serzh Sargsyan and now posing the right questions to Pashinyan: 'Now, are we here to change people, or are we here to change men?' It seems Mikayelyan hasn't fully grasped Pashinyan's message—people are changed as he was removed from the party board, and potentially later from the party itself.

By the way, Mikayelyan should also take into consideration that the party and personally Nikol Pashinyan gave more prominence to the young, inexperienced regional governor than to himself—who stood at the foundation of the party, became a pillar of the revolution, fought in the Artsakh Liberation War, even subordinating the liberation struggle to the revolution. In summary, they appointed Romanos Petrosyan to the board, while Mikayelyan was left with a regular party member status. Therefore, the Artsakh Liberation War is the greatest achievement of the years of independence, and no one attempted to diminish Mikayelyan's contribution to the liberation struggle except for himself, thus a retaliatory strike was inevitable. As they say, it is time to draw conclusions."