It should be noted that Russia’s appeal to Armenia to join the Eurasian Union was not supported by anyone. Even the pro-Russian Prosperous Armenia party issued no statement supporting the ratification of the CIS free trade area agreement.
In general, the PAP seems to have gone to underground. Moreover, we can even notice some efforts of rapprochement with the RPA and Serzh Sargsyan. In this sense, the story of the mayor of Gyumri is very interesting. The RPA did not rule out that it will support the candidacy of the PAP member Samvel Balasanyan. This means that the PAP and RPA will not have any conflict but they will reconcile.
This may be due to the fact that the parties may have a closer approach to the key points. In particular, this applies to foreign policy orientation. The PAP does not advocate rejection of European integration and does not argue that it is willing to do everything for integration within the framework of the Eurasian Union. This means that the PAP may refuse to support a candidate who for his part supports the idea of the Eurasian Union and closer ties with Russia.
If the PAP supports the European course of Serzh Sargsyan, there will be no sense to support another candidate, especially if Russia does not insist. Judging by the situation, Russia is trying to reconcile with the idea that Armenia has turned to the West. Yesterday, Russian Duma Speaker Sergey Narishkin did not propose anything to Armenia which would be worth to refuse integration with the European Union. Actually, he proposed to Armenia to join the Eurasian Union and then to join the European Union altogether.
It is clear that Russia has no other arguments to keep Armenia in the Eurasian fairway. Prosperous Armenia cannot but understand that opposing Serzh Sargsyan and pro-West orientation is a losing position.
Yesterday, Member of Parliament Margaret Yesayan, RPA, listed the reasons why we should vote for Serzh Sargsyan. She said that those who do not vote for him are against reforms and the best foreign policy.
In fact, Serzh Sargsyan made his opponents face a choice - either to vote for him, for reforms and pro-Western orientation, or to oppose reforms and a regressive pro-Russian position. Serzh Sargsyan automatically becomes the carrier of progress and his opponents become the advocates of return to the USSR.
Only the force which has already announced about its Western sentiment and the need for reforms and that Serzh Sargsyan’s policy is just an imitation may avoid this choice. But this force is clearly not the PAP. It will make the scenario, the possibilities that the West can use to support Serge Sargsyan, the measures which Russia is ready to take to retain Armenia, as well as the chance of electing a pro-Russian candidate. However, judging by the moods in Armenia, the Russian sentiment may be against any candidate. Like it was a shame and even dangerous to talk about friendship with the West, it is now awkward to talk about the Russian sentiment. The “etiquette” has changed. Russia itself also does not hide its Western sentiment. According to the Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, the ultimate dream in Russia is to have an account in Switzerland, a house in Spain and children studying in Cambridge.
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