Political analysts: new political force is main result of Armenian protests

The main outcome of protests in Armenia will be not the decision to cancel the increase of the tariff, but the appearance of a new political force, consisting of active and educated youth, believe the Armenian political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 17, the Commission for Regulation of Public Services (CRPS) of Armenia made a decision to increase electricity tariffs, starting from August 1, by 6.93 drams per 1 kW/h. On June 19, in the Armenian capital, activists declared a sit-in strike demanding from the President to cancel the decision to raise the prices for electricity. On June 22, they began a march to the presidential residence; however, by the morning of June 23, the protestors in Bagramyan Avenue were dispersed by the police. On June 23, a new rally was started in the centre of Yerevan.

Young people have already begun dictating the terms to the authorities and society, said Andrias Gukasyan, a political scientist.

"The issue is rather acute today: who is the power in Armenia – people or the country's leadership," said Gukasyan. He also added that in Armenia people for the first time go out to the street in such quantity and under the slogan like "We are the masters of our country!" The expert believes it to be a turning point in public consciousness.

The protest action in Yerevan is unpredictable, said Ruben Megrabyan, a political analyst and an expert of the Armenian "Centre for Political and International Studies". According to his story, the action "may transform into anything, depending on the reaction of the authorities." The authorities are now "inclined not to react adequately, but to use truncheons and make fatal errors," the analyst believes.

The social protest in Armenia is able to create a "social and political power of young members of the urban middle class," said Grant Mikaelyan, a political scientist and a researcher with the Caucasus Institute. He suggests that the creation of such a political power "will be the main outcome of the protest action." As for the change of the electricity tariff, it is possible, but not necessarily, Grant Mikaelyan has emphasized.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.