There Is Only One Right Solution: Samvel Karapetyan

Famous Armenian businessman and president of the Tashir Group, Samvel Karapetyan, addressed his compatriots with the following message:

“Dear compatriots,

Armenia and Artsakh are currently experiencing difficult, and without exaggeration, tragic times. One of the most dramatic chapters in the history of the Armenian people is being written. Despite showing heroic resistance against the Azeri-Turkish occupying forces, which significantly outnumbered us both in personnel and technology, we nevertheless failed in the war, losing thousands of invaluable lives of our soldiers. The Republic of Artsakh has lost a significant portion of its territory.

We must admit and acknowledge that the government currently in power in Armenia failed to manage Armenian statehood. It could not fulfill one of its most important duties—ensuring the combat readiness of the Armenian army and the security of the people of Artsakh. Its domestic and foreign policies were incorrect and led to disaster. The scale of this disaster would have been several times greater if it were not for the mediating efforts of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, whose intervention was solely responsible for the cessation of hostilities and the preservation of Artsakh.

After the cessation of military operations, our homeland faced an array of complex political, economic, and social issues requiring urgent solutions. Therefore, we cannot afford to waste time and have no right to engage in self-deception. We all, and especially the current government, must confess that for several reasons, Prime Minister Pashinyan and his government are no longer capable of channeling the energy of Armenian society into a constructive direction, uniting the people, and addressing the serious issues ahead of us.

There is only one right solution to this situation—an bloodless change of power. An immediate resignation of the Prime Minister and the government, the formation of a transitional cabinet of ministers, and the holding of extraordinary parliamentary elections during which the citizens of Armenia will choose a new government.

We must fundamentally shape a new agenda for the development of Armenia in the shortest possible time. Let us create a realistic roadmap for the recovery of our economy. Let us correctly identify the vector of the country’s foreign policy, taking into account the lessons learned from the events that have occurred. Let us heal our wounds as quickly as possible, restore the nation’s faith in its strength, and begin the rebirth of Armenia and Artsakh.

I am confident that we can do this. The time for our victories is ahead of us, and we have no right to miss it.”