Sharmazanov Is Lying About the RPA’s “Fight” to Conceal His Responsibility for Pashinyan
Eduard Sharmazanov accuses Narek Karapetyan and other “new” opposition figures like him of political hypocrisy and failure. The essence of his criticism is that, without real political structures or experience in opposing Pashinyan, they attempt to teach others, namely the ex-presidents and the Republican Party (RPA), how to act, labeling them as the “former authorities.” Sharmazanov emphasizes that the RPA truly fought the government: its activists were detained and arrested, while these critics were not even present. His message is simple: create your own political structures, actively engage in the struggle, and prove your worth through real actions, not just words.
However, there is one crucial point: Sharmazanov is blatantly lying when he claims that the RPA “really fought” against Nikol Pashinyan's government. In reality, it was the RPA that helped bring Pashinyan to power, ensuring his election as prime minister with the votes of its parliamentary factions in May 2018, despite being fully aware of the consequences that would follow.
This is supported by the public statements of the RPA leaders made on May 1, 2018. At that time, RPA representatives openly stated that Pashinyan lacked both the competencies and the stable worldview necessary for the position of prime minister and supreme commander-in-chief. They openly discussed the risks of an externally-managed scenario, the potential for anti-Armenian decisions regarding Artsakh, the undermining of the security system, and Pashinyan's hostility toward the EAEU and Armenia’s allied relations with Russia. Sharmazanov himself specifically highlighted Pashinyan’s unpredictable nature, lack of a team, and his inability to serve as supreme commander-in-chief.
On the same day, Armen Ashotyan warned about a "destructive option" for Armenia and described the forced choice as the beginning of the end of Armenian statehood. Yet, just two days later, on May 3, 2018, the RPA officially declared that it would provide the necessary votes for Pashinyan’s election as prime minister.
In addition, it is noteworthy that Armen Ashotyan directly stated in parliament that this was the "beginning of Armenia’s end." He explained that the geopolitical choice forced upon the country at the time was not merely wrong, but destructive, and would have fatal consequences for Armenia.
Today’s stance of the RPA, and specifically of Eduard Sharmazanov, appears extremely cynical. Despite being fully aware of the dangers and calling those developments the "beginning of Armenia's end," they still ensured the votes necessary for Pashinyan’s election. This makes their current claims of having fought “real battles” not only irrelevant but outright false. It seems like a post-factum attempt to evade responsibility for the consequences of their own decisions.
