Pashinyan lambasts ‘tough guy’ former presidents, again challenges to public debate

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated his offer to three former presidents for a public debate.

First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Second President Robert Kocharyan, and Third President Serzh Sargsyan have accused Pashinyan of provoking the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and mishandling the response. 

Pashinyan has denied these accusations and has offered to hold public debates with them, but they have rejected the offer.

In a strongly worded statement on social media, Pashinyan once again challenged the ex-presidents to a debate.

“When the people are happy, the famous trio evading the debate is sad,” Pashinyan said, referring to the former leaders. “Now the people are happy that there is peace and soldiers aren’t dying. But the trio that has been evading the debate has fallen into depression because of this.”
“Now tell me, are you going to come to the debate or not?”

Pashinyan made three separate posts on social media, all addressed to the former presidents, but without mentioning them by name. Instead, he used initials: TPL, SK, and RS. "SK and RS" was apparently a portmanteau for the initials of Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan.

Responding to accusations of having drawn Armenia into war, Pashinyan said:

“If I was the one who drew Armenia into war, then what was an 18-year-old soldier of the Republic of Armenia doing beyond the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia as of 2018?”
“And moreover, they weren’t your children or your grandchildren. So why weren’t you sending your own children and grandchildren to the zone of peace? Tell me… where were your children, and what were they doing during that time?”
Pashinyan also mentioned Catholicos Karekin II, whom his administration deems to be illegitimately holding office. He referred to him by his secular name, Ktrij Nersisyan.

“[Levon Ter-Petrosyan], who left Ktrij Nersisyan in front of his home’s gates on March 1, 2008, not allowing him to enter, is now defending Ktrij Nersisyan. Quickly apologize to the great Ktrij for not having allowed him beyond the doghouse on March 1, 2008,” he said, referring to rumors that Ter-Petrosyan refused to meet Karekin II during the post-election unrest of 2008. 
“And tell me, are you gonna come to the debate or not? Tough guys – the warrior, the brains, and the full house.”
Pashinyan accused Levon Ter-Petrosyan of dragging Armenia into war during his tenure. He accused Kocharyan of dragging Karabakh into war during his time in office there and then “running away to Armenia.”

“TPL dragged Armenia into war and ran away. RS dragged Karabakh into war and ran away to Armenia. SK had run away from Karabakh even earlier — to enjoy the money he had collected while holding the post in Lachin,” Pashinyan said, mocking the three ex-leaders for being referred to as “victorious presidents,” and saying that none of them had actually won an election.
“If you had actually brought victory to the people, then can you explain why, since 1996, you had been rigging elections? How could the people not elect the leaders who had brought victory?”
Pashinyan said that the people never voted for the former leaders because they understood that the ex-presidents had not brought victory, but had instead:

“...dragged Armenia into an abyss from which there is no way out.”

“And now you are dying when you see that — at the cost of thousands of lives — that way out has been found. You are dying literally, three times a day: once in the morning, then at noon, and then in the evening. So tell me, are you coming to the debate or not? You can bring Ktrij, Samo, Gevorg, and Vazgen with you,” Pashinyan said, referring to Catholicos Karekin II by his secular name, as well as jailed tycoon Samvel Karapetyan and two clergymen facing attempted coup charges.
“We can organize the debate at my former cell in the Yerevan-Kentron jail, so it’s convenient for all of you,” Pashinyan added.