My Step MP on Amulsar Issue: Devalued People are Writing Letters, Expressing Opinions

Devalued individuals are writing letters, expressing opinions, predicting the future—people who were at the roots of transforming this mountain into a gold mine, people who held official positions and sold the country piece by piece, people from whom we have inherited all this due to incompetent and greedy governance.

On her Facebook page, Arpi Davoyan, an MP from the ‘My Step’ faction of the Armenian Parliament, discussed the Amulsar issue.

“Dear friends and relatives, being an MP, minister, deputy minister, or any public official has not been attractive since 2018; these positions entail great responsibility, sometimes concerning questions that are difficult and not popular. There are questions whose answers are not received with joy by the public. Amulsar is one of these difficult questions. However… let’s be honest with each other: is Amulsar a mine or a mountain? We must discuss all pros and cons but never stray from the realm of rationality. State decisions cannot be made in the emotional realm.”

“We want to have a rich, developed democracy and a strong country, and at this moment, the Amulsar issue hinders us on this path. Is the solution to this problem directly proportional to a democratic and wealthy country? I don't know. A year ago, the path to a solution was determined—a comprehensive independent international review, followed by a decision after the results are published. Over the past year, no citizen has disputed whether this review was correct or wrong, nor have any questions been raised to the government about who ‘Elard’ is or why it was chosen, why it was investigated, etc. (even if there have been, I am not aware). The issue gained prominence only after various dark and bright forces gave it significance.”

“I urge our dear and respectful citizens to distinguish between manipulative tactics and genuine struggles for values. Devalued individuals are writing letters, expressing opinions, predicting the future—people who were at the roots of transforming this mountain into a gold mine, people who held official positions and sold the country piece by piece, people from whom we have inherited all this due to incompetent and greedy governance. Sometimes those fighting measure the ones who permitted ore exploitation and us with the same yardstick, yet they know very well that they do not behave justly. Do not overlook the fact that if the mine is exploited, we will all do everything possible and impossible to monitor all risks.”

“I could write various economic arguments, cite excerpts from the assessment provided by the review, and find a few quotes for lovers of international conventions. However, I reiterate: difficult decisions are never popular. It seems that my position has also become known—I am ready to share the responsibility for the decisions made by my political team,”

wrote the MP.