Role of April war in current protests in Armenia should not be underestimated; Russian analyst Sergey Markedonov expressed this opinion to ArmInfo.
To recall, on July 17, Artsakh war hero Zhirayr Sefilyan's armed supporters, who are calling themselves "Sasna Tsrer" (The Daredevils of Sasun), seized the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment in Erebuni district of Yerevan. A Police officer was killed several people were injured. The rebels demand Serzh Sargsyan's resignation and Sefilyan's release.
"Those criticizing the Armenian authorities are sure that Yerevan did not demonstrate enough will in defending Armenian national interests in April. Seizure of Police building by veterans of Karabakh war is determined by this fact. "That is why in my opinion seizure of the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment is the tip of the iceberg of Armenian problems. Otherwise, seizure would remain an isolated event and would not lead to mass protests throughout Armenia", the analyst is sure.
In this light Markedonov notes that Armenia's public and political life has not been stable for recent years and the last year's "Electric Yerevan" is a vivid evidence of it. The analyst stressed that this time too the protesters support not so much hostage taking but rather express dissatisfaction with the running authorities.
During the whole post soviet period the Armenian authorities managed to overcome such crisis situations by attracting oppositionists on their side, partial concessions, administrative pressure and political persecutions. The procedure of civilized change of power and renewal of elites in Armenia has not developed leading to fetishizing by the Armenian society the change of the current order.
The analyst noted that currently the authorities face a new challenge-generational change. "The people who were born right before or after the collapse of the Soviet Union show maximallism in their demands and it will be more and more difficult to ignore these demands each year. Political elite of Armenia does not have any intention for changes, while the existing partial political regime has neither definite programs nor outstanding leaders. "Quite dangerous demand for violent actions in Armenia arises from this and considering non-settled Karabakh conflict and Armenia's blockade this opinion is not an exaggeration", the analyst summarized.