Political tensions continue in Armenia. The desire of the former officials to return to power is fueling the situation. Former presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan have stepped up their anti-government rhetoric. In this regard, Kocharyan seems more active. He announced his return to big politics a few days ago. However, he never left politics, and even after the end of his presidency, he played an important role in the life of Armenia through Serzh Sargsyan. During his years of political activities, he authored bloody tragedies.

In fact, Robert Kocharyan was a leading figure of the separatists when the Armenians committed the Khojaly genocide in Karabakh on February 26, 1992. He was appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia in March 1997, and after the forced resignation of Levon Ter-Petrosyan in 1998, he served as President from February 3 to March 30, and became President on March 30 of that year. He presided over Armenia from April 9, 1998 to April 9, 2008. On October 27, 1999, five gunmen stormed the Armenian parliament building, killing eight people, including the prime minister and the speaker of parliament, and wounding 30 others. The attackers were charged with terrorism. Politicians in Armenia still claim that then-President Robert Kocharian and National Security Minister Serzh Sargsyan were involved in the terror. Robert Kocharyan was once again the author of a bloody incident on March 1-2, 2008, using force against those protesting against the results of the presidential election in Armenia. Ten people were killed and many others were injured in the shooting by the army and police. Kocharyan thus ensured that Serzh Sargsyan, co-author of the Khojaly genocide, became president. At that time, presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan were behind the October and March events, and called on his opponent not to vote. Armenia claims that the real perpetrators of the October and March events have not yet been punished. After Nicole Pashinyan became the Prime Minister of Armenia, the criminal case on the events of March 1-2, 2008 was renewed. Robert Kocharyan was arrested on July 27, 2018 in connection with the case.

Vazgen Manukyan, the sole candidate for the post of Prime Minister of the "Salvation of the Motherland" movement, is also a co-author of the Khojaly genocide, like Kocharyan and Sargsyan. The hands of these three contenders are stained with the blood of Azerbaijanis and Armenians. They came to power against the background of the Karabakh events. The trio is trying to bring the issue back to the agenda, strengthen the social base by irritating the Armenian society and humiliating it. These forces obstructed the democratic process in 1988 by playing a leading role in directing the anti-Soviet independence movement in Armenia to the national conflict.

Kocharyan and his team lied and deceived the Armenian society by making empty promises. History has shown that re-coming to power by reusing an idea does not work. As can be seen from his speeches and statements, the idea of Kocharyan and others like him is outdated. This shows that the Armenian opposition is experiencing a crisis of new ideas. Political and national speculation condemning Pashinyan on the Karabakh issue is not enough for the current situation. Therefore, it is very unlikely that the "Karabakh Clan" (members of the Armenian community in Karabakh) will return to power in Armenia through elections. In this case, only they can be arranged to come to power. Therefore, their attempts of revenge after coming to power in Armenia can be considered the last chance for the near future.

By Sadraddin Soltan

Translated by Elnur Enveroglu