We need a 'tough' government competent in military affairs, says former Public Council chief  

We need a "tough" government competent in military affairs to pursue national policies based on the ideologies of freedom and have the ability to consolidate our people, the former chairman of the Public Council of Armenia, Vazgen Manukyan, said in a statement on Tuesday (Nov. 17).

The leader of the National Democratic Union, who was also the prime minister of Armenia in the early independence period (1990-1991), condemned the recent ceasefire on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) as a deal stemming from the current government's "simple-mindedness".

"The foundations of the November 10 capitulation were lain back in 2018 when the external powers, through representatives of foreign countries' services, literally invaded Armenia, using certain features of Nikol Pashinyan and alluring our people with the primitive formula that 'you live badly because the authorities plunder you, whereas we will take the plunder back to distribute it among you'.

"The external powers did, in fact, invade our country - without declaring a war against Armenia - to lead the country in a direction whose consequences we are 'tasting' today.

"Now those foreign powers will not easily abandon the state administration - as long as their programs are incomplete - especially in the light of Russia's essentially increased influence in the region. Those powers may decide on sacrificing Nikol Pashinyan to maintain their control over our country through someone else.

"Armenia has become a defenseless country. The situation may change at any moment, as we may be subjected to further Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression. But under the document signed on November 10, we virtually have five years to stand up on our own feet and to become powerful (the term of the Russian peacekeeping mission is five years). And now we need to swiftly turn the process of that statement's implementation to our advantage.

"Pashinyan must step down; there's no two ways about it. But I appeal to the people not to be ever deluded by his touching 'sweet' words. That's a vital problem for all the national political forces - not to be ever tempted by the populist opinions, which the external hostile forces have been so skillfully forming after invading our country.

"What we need today is a 'tough' government competent in military affairs to pursue policies anchored on the  national ideas of the people and to consolidate the people, re-establishing the relations with our natural allies and have the ability to tackle the problems facing our country and nation," reads the statement.