No Armenia of 2018, but 2026 and its reality - expert

ArmInfo. This June, the country will hold civil elections for the first time since Armenia's independence. In all previous years, regardless of tensions in  relations, elections have been domestic, sometimes political,  sometimes clan-based, sometimes ideological in nature, but they have  never become a civilizational turning point. Political scientist Vahe  Hovhannisyan writes about this in his article.  

"On the 35th anniversary of independence, we face a civilizational choice. This is a fact we must deeply understand. There are things that no longer  exist. The collective opposition must understand this and formulate  its mission accordingly. The Armenia of 2018 no longer exists, nor  does the world. There is 2026, and its realities exist. Anyone who  doesn't understand this will naturally be rejected. But I am not  concerned with them, but with Armenia. Armenia must build new  domestic relations, new regional relations, and a new foreign policy.  If we don't do this, others will do it for us. If we need details,  then we must build new relations with Russia, Iran, Georgia, and the  West. We must build new relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey," the  political scientist emphasized.  He added that the most important  issue for Armenia is establishing well-thought-out, properly  calculated, and normal relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, that is,  continuing to properly manage the current non- military situation.  The next Armenian government has a unique opportunity to do this,  provided all of this is implemented. Next, major steps are needed to  build a modern state-competent, bold steps, without looking back.  This must be based on sound economic policy and a dramatic turnaround  in the country's demographic situation, a wave of repatriation.

"If we don't do this, we won't have time to blink an eye, and even  today's Armenia will become a dream.  The current government itself  has proposed, in a sense, imposed its civilizational choice - a life  without fire under the auspices of the Turkic world. This will  quickly entail economic invasion and an irreversible disruption of  the demographic balance due to the "resettlement" of hundreds of  thousands of Azerbaijanis. I repeat, this will happen very quickly.  The collective opposition, especially its key players, must respond  adequately and present the people with their civilizational  alternative - a small, sovereign, dignified state that establishes  good relations with all its neighbors, excludes the country from the  map of international escalation and pursues an intensive policy of  building a modern state. We have reached a point where cursing Nikol  has become a pointless exercise that gives nothing to the state. The  problem is no longer in the person, not even in the losses he has  caused, but in the choice of civilizational dagger at this moment.   We "We must make a choice among ourselves and for ourselves: are we a  nation that tolerates priests in prison, are we a nation that  tolerates attacks on the church, or something else? Perhaps both  options are a choice, and which one should we take? Do we choose the  path of "gasoline for defeat" or the path of restoration, of  straightening our backs? It is this civilizational choice that must  be clearly offered.  Moreover, the task of the collective opposition  is to force its own society to make this choice. To create a  situation in which no one can avoid the choice. Society must take  responsibility for its future destiny. In this regard, it is  extremely important that the main opposition groups be formed  according to a representative, team-based logic, and not according to  clan or gang logic. Does such an understanding exist? It is difficult  for me to say. And it is very important that the key groups of the  collective opposition win the trust of voters, and not emotions in  exchange for pleasant privileges. For a breakthrough at this  civilizational turning point, real, uncorrupted public trust is  necessary," noted Vahe Hovhannisyan.