RPA Deputy Chairman outlines the opposition`s path to victory over  Pashinyan

ArmInfo.  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan may be defeated, but to achieve this goal, it is not enough to rely solely on political materialism or political idealism,  as stated by  Armen Ashotyan, Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party  of Armenia (RPA) and political prisoner.

The politician pointed out that Armenia's political reality has long  gone beyond  traditional political science models and ethical  principles, although there is a scientific approach that  can explain  the current domestic political processes. According to Ashotyan, the  main participants in political events in Armenia can be divided into  three categories: "materialists", "idealists" and "dualists". When  discussing the representatives of the ruling party, the Civil  Contract party led by Nikol Pashinyan, Ashotyan mentioned that this  group, which initially positioned itself as idealists in 2018 and  came to power under the corresponding slogans, quickly transformed  into political materialists, prioritizing material interests. 

"In recent months, this intense materialism has become their explicit  creed: the logic of the Real Armenia, the logic of continual  concessions, supposedly for the sake of peace - this is their foreign  policy matrix," the RPA deputy chairman emphasized. Meanwhile, as  Ashotyan explained, it is crucial to prioritize concrete ideas over  lofty but abstract ones. "In domestic politics, a key aspect of their  materialism includes prisons packed with political prisoners, corrupt  criminal cases, tax hikes, and even concert and festival fever," he  added. Regarding the camp of the second President of Armenia Robert  Kocharyan, Ashotyan noted that the core of the opposition, although  it includes "traditional" idealists, like representatives of the ARF  "Dashnaktsutyun", has clearly shifted towards "materialism" in its  recent actions. This, shift, according to him, has become especially  noticeable in their approaches to the process of expressing a vote of  no confidence in the Prime Minister. 

"Statements such as "bring the two missing signatures for  impeachment, then we will give ours" or "let the streets fill up,  only then will we think about joining" are typical examples of  blatant political materialism. It is deep dissonance with the terror  raging in the country, the objective risks of making new vital  concessions and the salvation of the Motherland. The main hope for a  change of power for this materialism is associated with the  parliamentary elections of 2026," the deputy chairman of the RPA  noted. Touching upon the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), Ashotyan  recalled that as a result of Pashinyan's attacks, the Church has  become a clear political factor,  despite  how alien this truth may  seem to the spiritual leaders.  Additionally,  he assured that the  sooner the Church realizes and accepts this new reality, the more  effectively  it can preserve and uphold its national and spiritual  image.

"In order to avoid misunderstandings and primitive manipulations, I  would like to emphasize that what I have said does not mean that the  Church should "enter politics". I mean that in order to protect its  spiritual and national image, the AAC must inevitably resort to  political tools, that is, replenish its idealistic arsenal with  materialistic ones," the political prisoner noted.

Regarding the detention of Russian businessman of Armenian origin,  Samvel Karapetyan, Ashotyan pointed out that the bold and cruel  campaign against the Armenian national philanthropist immediately  makes him an influential political factor with serious potential.  However, he urged not to forget that the beginning of the process was  based on Samvel Karapetyan's idealism - his willingness to defend the  Armenian Apostolic Church from Pashinyan's attacks.  "This is a  unique phenomenon, because even with his multi-billion dollar  fortune, he is not a materialist.  Values, ideas, and meanings -  everything that is characteristic of classical idealists, are his top  priorities.  If an institutional political structure is formed around  his image, then this idealism, like that of the Church, will also be  supplemented with a materialistic toolkit," Ashotyan assured.

Referring to the camp of the third President of Armenia Serzh  Sargsyan, Ashotyan noted that it is dualistic.  He clarifies that the  core of this group is the Republican Party of Armenia, which has  experienced various stages of these philosophical delusions during  its 35-year history. Meanwhile, since June, as Ashotyan noted, the  Republican Party has  announced the start of the impeachment process  and taken responsibility, positioning itself as a dualistic political  force. This involves combining the idea of removing Nikol before the  elections with the materialistic resources that will be invested in  this regard. Summing up the analysis, Ashotyan assured that the only  option for defeating Pashinyan is to combine the two approaches -  "idea and substrate". "Therefore, turning the opposition  "materialists" and "idealists" into "dualists", as I described, or in  any other way is fatal," the RPA deputy chairman concluded.