Oskanian: The time for excuses is over, Pashinyan must go

ArmInfo.Nikol Pashinyan's tenure as Armenia's leader  has been nothing short of a national catastrophe. Over six years, his reckless incompetence and political short- sightedness have turned a proud nation into a humiliated shadow of itself. Former RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan wrote on his social media page. 

According to Oskanian, under Pashinyan's watch, Armenia has suffered  its most devastating defeat in modern history-the complete loss of  Nagorno-Karabakh, the displacement of its Armenian population, and  the deaths of thousands. "This is not just a story of battlefield  failure but of a leader whose arrogance, ignorance, and refusal to  heed sound advice have driven the country into an abyss. Today, with  Armenian hostages still languishing in Baku, parts of sovereign  Armenian territory ceded, and more demands for concessions looming,  Pashinyan has lost all moral and political legitimacy to govern. The  country's survival demands his immediate departure," noted Oskanian.

He also added that Pashinyan's misrule has been defined by an  astonishing lack of strategic foresight.  "From the moment he took  office, he demonstrated a dangerous ignorance about foreign policy  and military affairs. Unlike previous Armenian leaders who navigated  regional complexities with caution and realism, Pashinyan's approach  to Nagorno-Karabakh was a masterclass in recklessness. His  inflammatory rhetoric alienated allies and emboldened Azerbaijan,  setting the stage for the devastating 2020 war. When the inevitable  disaster struck, it was his decisions-rooted in stubbornness rather  than wisdom-that ensured a crushing defeat. Five thousand Armenian  soldiers paid the ultimate price for his incompetence, while another  ten thousand were left injured, their futures shattered".  Rather  than learning from this debacle, Pashinyan doubled down. Instead of  resigning with dignity, he clung to power, refusing accountability.  His government engaged in a cynical campaign of blame-shifting,  accusing previous administrations, foreign allies, and even the  Armenian people themselves for the failures that were entirely his  own. But history does not lie. It was his leadership that led to the  complete surrender of Nagorno-Karabakh, the forced exodus of its  120,000 Armenian inhabitants, and the unprecedented erosion of  Armenia's territorial integrity.

The humiliation does not stop there. Under Pashinyan, Armenia has  been reduced to a vassal state, constantly pressured into making  additional territorial, historical, constitutional, and diplomatic  concessions. His foreign policy has been erratic and  self-destructive, burning bridges with allies while failing to secure  alternatives. His failures have left Armenia isolated, vulnerable,  and at the mercy of its adversaries. Even now, as Armenian prisoners  remain in Azerbaijani custody, his government lacks the will or  competence to secure their release.  Perhaps most disgraceful of all,  Pashinyan has recently exhibited shocking signs of denial regarding  the Armenian Genocide-an unfathomable betrayal of the nation's  history. For a leader of Armenia to downplay or distort the greatest  tragedy in Armenian history is beyond comprehension. It is a final  insult to a country that has already endured too much under his rule.

Yet, there are still a few apologists for Pashinyan who know full  well that his rhetoric and actions are indefensible. Motivated by  personal and material interests, they attempt to find subtle and  twisted language and means to justify him. These individuals are  equally dangerous, as they enable his destructive policies and hinder  the nation's progress. Their justifications must be confronted and  exposed for the harm they perpetuate.  Pashinyan's continued presence  in power is not just a political problem; it is a national emergency.  His reign has been a period of unrelenting humiliation, defeat, and  decline. He governs not as a leader but as a man desperately clinging  to power, making decisions based on self-preservation rather than the  national interest. Armenia cannot afford to endure his failures any  longer. The longer he remains in office, the greater the damage he  will inflict. The time for excuses is over. Pashinyan must go-for the  sake of Armenia's dignity, security, and future," Oskanian concluded.