The brutal police crackdown on a protest action in Yerevan has rallied the Armenians. Still more people took to the streets of Armenia’s capital yesterday in protest against the increase of electricity charges by Armenian Electric Grids, a subsidiary of the Russian energy company Inter RAO owned by Igor Sechin.
The protest began on the initiative of “Say No to Robbery” movement which led people to Yerevan’s Baghramyan Avenue. Incidentally, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s residence is on the same street. He suggested to the activists several times that an action group be formed to discuss this problem. But the protesters rejected this proposal and said they were expecting Sargsyan to appear on TV.
The Russian and some Ukrainian mass media immediately dubbed the Yerevan protests as “electromaidan.” However, Armenians themselves deny any connection with Ukrainian protests. What proves this is also the fact that the Armenian protest is so far of a social nature.
“Even if the Yerevan events were a repetition of the Ukrainian Maidan,” hetq.am portal says, “the groundwork for this was laid by the inadequate and irresponsible management of the Russian company that owns Armenian Electric Grids – its intention to make up for the losses at the expense of consumers has ruined the energy system and triggered a social revolt.”
The Day requested Stepan GRIGORYAN, director of the Analytical Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation, to comment on the Yerevan events and say whether it is right to compare them with the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity.
“Russian journalists, particularly those who are on the government’s payroll, have already formed an inferiority complex. Whenever they see a rally, they begin to suspect Americans or Europeans behind it.
“Armenia is a different case. There is a difficult social situation in the country, and a 40-precent electricity rate hike is a very essential thing. This hike costs individuals a pretty penny, but it would be mindless to seek any underlying political motive here.
“Our electric energy is four times as expensive as in Ukraine. I can imagine what the Ukrainian would do if you had its cost increased by 10 percent. But in my country, they want electricity to be six times more expensive than in Ukraine.
“The people who came out on the streets of Yerevan believe that the electricity price hike is totally unmotivated. There is a nuclear power station in Armenia, which produces very cheap electric energy. Besides, we have a hydro power plant…
“Still, this protest has something in common with Ukraine. The participants are young people, student organizations, and civil society. The difference is that the political elite of Ukraine is now standing next to the new generation of activists, whereas in our country the opposition is only struggling to stand up. Unfortunately, our opposition is pro-Russian and it voted for the Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Union.”
