A Revolution Was Needed, There Was Meaningless Change: Armenia is Forsaken, Says Mikael Minasyan

We currently do not have a political system nor a political discourse. I continue to assert that there has not been a revolution in Armenia; there has been meaningless change, said Mikael Minasyan, former ambassador of Armenia to the Holy See, in an exclusive interview with 168.am.

"A revolution was needed, but there has been meaningless change. As a result of this meaningless change, we have no authority. The Republic of Armenia is forsaken. The Armenian authorities are incapable of taking on the responsibilities of power because this responsibility implies the burden of authority and the accountability for decisions that must be made by the authorities," said Minasyan.

According to the ambassador, there is no opposition in the Republic of Armenia because the foundation of the opposition is revenge-seeking. "There is an authority that struggled to become a power but does not want to be an authority; it remains in opposition and is halfway between opposition and government. More than 1.5 years have passed; they have reached the halfway point and remain stuck there because that is the most convenient place for them. Do you know why? They take advantage of the rights of power but do not assume the responsibilities of authority. They benefit from the privileges of authority without making decisions.

The former authorities have gone into opposition but have also remained stuck at the halfway point because they constantly want to prove that they were not that bad during their time, or that they were good; it does not matter. In this crossroads where the former government and the former opposition meet, they have switched places but have not reached their destination. The Republic of Armenia remains forsaken with its problems.

Among the issues that require solutions, Minasyan highlighted a small but important issue: waste management. "The former authorities say: why was Yerevan so dirty during our time? The new authorities say: because Sanitek does not collect waste, since the former ones, the corrupt system, etc. Everyone talks about the garbage, but the garbage exists. Yerevan is forsaken.

In Minasyan's assessment, this government is a continuation of the old one, and nothing has changed in the past 1.5 years. "There was an expectation of a revolution in the air; that transformed into waiting for a miracle, which is now transforming into waiting for a disaster. We all understand that disaster is coming. Everything is heading towards that. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia—both proud and less so, those who live well and not so well, those who live very poorly and not so poorly, the soldiers on the border and those who fled the army—are all united by the anxiety of waiting for a disaster. We all understand that this will end very badly—how, I do not know. But one fact is clear: no one assumes responsibility to stop all of this.

Accelerations are increasing, negative energy is increasing, everything is increasing, but nothing is happening. This government is old; this government is a continuation of the old. This government does not differ from the old one it fought against because it changed nothing; this government merely changed the face of the old. Was this the revolution? There is no return to the old."

Mikael Minasyan believes that this government had, but no longer has, all the opportunities to emerge from the trenches. Meanwhile, according to him, the authorities chose the strategy of deepening the trenches—not only in the Republic of Armenia but also outside of Armenia. "We have authorities that blindly believe that non-negotiation is their main creed. We have authorities that rejoice in their unpredictability. We have authorities that are unpredictable not only for their citizens or partners but also for themselves. They do not know what to do next. The authorities do not have a goal to work; their goal is to fight. And they are doing that. You cannot work in a trench; it is difficult to think about economic revolution when in a trench. In the trench, they are either shooting or hiding. You cannot invite a 'dream team' in a trench; you can create a 'dream squad'. There is not even an attempt to come out of the trench; moreover, being in the trench is presented as a political and historical mission. Who are you fighting against, the old one? You are the old one. You are so old that you do not even realize it. Yelling, yelling—1.5 years have passed, and nothing has happened. There is one trench in the Republic of Armenia, and it is between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We have no other trench. I will do everything to make that trench solid. We all will do everything to make that trench solid. We are all also ready to come out of that trench; we have no other trench. But today we have a trench-bound country. In Armenian-Russian relations—trenches, in Armenian-Iranian relations—trenches. Every moment carries the danger of that trench appearing. Armenia-Diaspora, please, authority-Dashnaktsutyun—as much as you want, authority-RP, do not let me say, there is no trench there, there is a pit. Trenches, old ones, new ones, blacks, whites. Yes, is someone living better than that?" concluded Minasyan.