Ara Abrahamyan's Call to Armenian Citizens

The President of the Union of Russian Armenians, Ara Abrahamyan, has made a call to action. He urged Armenian citizens not to vote for Prime Minister Pashinyan and his team in order to save the state and the people from disaster.

"Personally, I have everything today and could focus on my own affairs, whether as a public figure, an entrepreneur, or a UNESCO goodwill ambassador; I have no shortage of work. However, my conscience does not allow me to remain inactive while following Armenia’s internal political processes, seeing how the current government has trapped the people and is now pushing the country towards the abyss by deceiving them again—blaming others for the victims of capitulation, war, and coronavirus, alongside the socio-economic issues of the country, and frightening people by claiming that war will break out. Since 1988, we have paid a very high price for our country’s independence, so that now, forgetting the sacrifices and losses of recent decades, we trample on the souls of tens of thousands of our compatriots who heroically fell and consign our history to oblivion.

As we approach April 24, the centenary of the Treaties of Moscow and Kars, we again look back at our history and reevaluate what happened a hundred years ago. Reflecting on the past, I mentally return to our great figures, their words and actions, and I reread the letters of Hovhannes Tumanyan addressed to Andranik Ozanyan written in 1917. I admire Tumanyan’s dedication to his homeland, his patriotism, and his willingness to enlist his eight children in the defense of the homeland (sending his four sons as soldiers and his four daughters as nurses). Tumanyan himself allocated 100 rubles a month for this purpose, calling others to follow his example. Only four years later, in 1921, Tumanyan had a completely different mood related to the "destruction of the country from within and outside." Moreover, as he writes, no one was blamed for such disasters and defeats, and no one was held accountable... No one even committed suicide to prove they had shame and conscience. They were not even capable of feeling sad or appearing sorrowful.

Why do the current authorities, who serve everyone’s interests but not those of Armenians and Armenia, have no sense of guilt and once again seek to position themselves in parliament, at the helm of power, instead of having the courage to voluntarily step aside, cleanse themselves, and not involve the population in their dubious games? It is obvious that these people are not seeking salvation for the country but want to save themselves and their entourage. The parallels inevitably arise; however, it is time that we all change and stop saying that history repeats itself, emphasizing that we are continuously betrayed. Today we again face a fateful choice. Every citizen's stance, voice, and actions matter critically for our 10 million Armenians. It is important to understand that our fate depends on us. No one will save Armenia but us—not the great empires, not allies, no one will do it for us. The sooner we understand this, the better. We are responsible for our fate. Therefore, we must think about all of this before voting. Remember, every vote cast today is an investment in Armenia's future," he stated.