Member of 'My Step' Faction Mesrop Papikyan Resigns and Exits from Civil Contract

Member of the 'My Step' faction, Mesrop Papikyan has resigned from his mandate and is leaving the 'Civil Contract' party. 'Dear friends,

Recently, after the establishment of the ceasefire, I have been inactive on the Facebook platform, trying to distance myself from the informational 'noise.' Remaining with my thoughts, I attempted to reevaluate and reinterpret many principles and values. I also reflected on the deeper causes of the war and our defeat, as well as possible ways out of the current situation.

Since 1994, we have lost vigilance and our connection to external geopolitical processes, focusing on internal political processes, believing that the war was distant and that it would never knock on our door. Now, looking back, one understands that all our domestic political events seem so trivial, insignificant and petty compared to the processes ongoing in the external world. It is the result of not seriously addressing these geopolitical processes that we find ourselves in this difficult situation.

For 30 years, we have moved forward with false agendas—power, opposition, regime change, revolution, and so on. However, while we were asleep, the wild forces across the border were gathering strength and thirsting for our children's blood. Our only agenda should be the creation of a sovereign and powerful state, and for that, deep, value-based changes need to be implemented based on national ideologies.

Such changes are impossible to achieve within the current political-party system. Since 2012, I have been actively involved in political processes, striving to do everything possible, seeking justice, reforms, and a better future for our children. My struggle has always been for justice and legality.

Today, I received news from the Central Electoral Commission regarding the vacant mandate of the 'My Step' faction in the National Assembly and my next position on the proportional list. I have submitted letters of self-withdrawal to resign from my parliamentary mandate and from the position of a member of the Yerevan Council, and I have also decided to leave the 'Civil Contract' party.

My withdrawals are due to the fact that I am now only interested in domestic political processes as part of foreign policy and interaction with the external world. Accepting a parliamentary mandate would place me back into the closed loop of the power-opposition race, making me again overshadow external and sole enemies, and my vigilance would decrease.

During the last two and a half years, as a member of the Yerevan Council, I tried to ease the lives of Yerevan residents as much as possible within my powers. I value the experience I have received from other council members during this time, and I am grateful to each of them.

P.S. Now it is time to approach discussing—long discussions—about our mistakes, ideologies, our future, and to find the path that will lead to victories.'