The main mistake of Pashinyan will be the repetition of the slogan: "Artsakh is Armenia"

Baku/22.06.21/Turan: After the end of the Second Karabakh War, Yerevan blogger Ishkhan Verdyan posts videos on Youtube in support of Nikol Pashinyan and for reconciliation with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. During this period, Verdyan gained popularity of permanent viewers, including in Azerbaijan.

After the victory of N. Pashinyan's party in the parliamentary elections, the blogger wrote an open letter urging Pashinyan not to make new mistakes.

In an interview with Turan, Verdyan commented on the situation in Armenia before and after the elections.

Question: - You campaigned for Pashinyan from the very beginning. Did you doubt his victory when reading "polls about the victorious Kocharyan?"

Answer:  I have never doubted his victory. I knew the falsity of the "sociological polls" in which Kocharyan was presented as the winner. Those polls were fakes, and we were convinced of this.

Question: Pashinyan bears the stigma of a "capitulator"; would this prevent him from ruling the country?

Answer:  I do not agree with the wording, where the word "capitulator" is in a negative context. This is an opposition propaganda trick imposed by the Karabakh clan. From a knowingly losing war, you can get out through surrender or complete destruction. Surrender is a statement of fact, not a shame, but a recognition that our army was weak. I do not think that the statement of this humiliates Pashinyan's dignity.

He should not have allowed surrender without leading the country to war. However, he misjudged the strengths of the parties, the international situation and led Armenia to defeat. I accuse him of this, and the word “capitulator” has not been attached to him despite Kocharyan's propaganda.

Question: - What will the winner do with Kocharyan? Pashinyan appeared at rallies with a hammer in his hand. He can, by a majority of parliamentary votes, deprive Kocharyan of his parliamentary immunity and sue on three criminal charges. Does Pashinyan need to deal with political enemies?

Answer:  It is unacceptable to physically deal with political opponents. Today, there are criminals in parliament whose actions are known. Every Armenian knows how they plundered the country, killed people. They are not punished. The absurdity is that such people are in politically significant positions. Pashinyan must legally deal with all criminals, regardless of the position held.

Question: - What is the likelihood of a coup d'etat by Kocharian, with the support of Moscow? He is not one of those who give up, and he did not admit defeat in the elections.

Answer: I cannot say anything about Moscow's plans. The possibility of a coup in Armenia is zero, since the majority of the people support Pashinyan. At pre-election rallies, hundreds of thousands of people followed him, and the participants were brought to Kocharian's rallies by buses from Karabakh.

Question: - You wrote that you would criticize the prime minister so that he does not make mistakes. What did you mean?

Answer: - Pashinyan's mistakes are not new. He led the two countries to war, to the deaths of tens of thousands of citizens of Armenia and Azerbaijan. I want to warn him against repeating mistakes, so that he takes up a policy that is useful for Armenia, settles all disputed issues with Turkey and Azerbaijan. If he keeps repeating that “Artsakh is Armenia”, it will be the main mistake.

Question: - How realistic is the signing of peace treaties with Turkey and Azerbaijan, with the definition of borders and the opening of roads, including the Zangezur one?

Answer: The signing of peace treaties with Azerbaijan and Turkey with the opening of borders and communications, of course, will be. The question is how and when it will happen. If Pashinyan continues to delay with these issues, with the resolution of the Karabakh issue and the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, then eventually Armenia will be forced to sign everything that is needed. This will happen under Pashinyan or after him. What Armenia will lose or gain from this is unknown. It will be better if Yerevan itself shakes the hand extended by Baku and Ankara and goes to settle all disputes.

 I am not a member of the prime minister's team and have not been in it. I do not know what policy Pashinyan will pursue, but I will very carefully monitor what he is doing, and speak loudly about what seems harmful. I do not want the nation’s love for Pashinyan to muffle the voice of reason among the Armenians, and we, inspired by the victory over the Karabakh plan, pushed the vital issues for Armenia to the background. -0-