The emergence of the great absent

 Vaհe H Apelian 

Politics make strange bedfellows is a well-known saying for good reason that needs no elaboration. Ronald Reagan famously joked, "Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to understand that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."

Especially the following caught me off guard as the post June 7, 2026 election government takes shape; the political fall of Robert Kocharyan, and the emergence of Samvel Karapetyan who was, for all practical purposes absent from  Armenia, surely during the upheavals of the last eight years that shook the Armenians to the core in Armenia and in Diaspora. 

On August 10, the National Assembly distributed the positions of chairmen and deputies of 12 standing committees among the three factions that make the National Assembly, that is to say among Civil Contract party that commands 64 seats, Strong Armenia party that commands 29 seats, and the Armenia alliance, that commands 12 seats. These 12 standing committees, much like any parliamentary standing committees, will review draft laws before they reach the main floor, present expert opinions to parliament, and lead legislative oversight over government policies.

The “Civil Contract” faction received 8 committee chairs and 7 deputies. 

“Strong Armenia” received 3 chairs and 4 deputies. 

The “Armenia” faction received only 1 chair and 1 deputy.

It was interesting to note that the standing committee for European Integration will be chaired by Strong Armenia party that is a staunch ally of Russia, and is for the “integration” of Armenia with the Russian Federation to have the Russian Federation as Armenia’s guarantor – yerashkhavor. Although he could not take part in the election, Strong Armenia’s de facto leader is Samvel Karapetyan who boasted at one time that he is the only leader that holds a European citizenship. Along being a Russian Federation national, Samvel Karapetyan is also a citizen of Cyprus which is a member of European Union and Euro is its official currency. The Civil Contract party, will  chair the standing committee for  Eurasian Integration, although the party advocates an independent course for Armenia but continues to have Armenia as a member of EAEU – Eurasian Economic Union - and has no intention of discontinuing Armenia's  membership.

The grand loser surely of the election and in the ensuing governance of Armenia is Robert Kocharyan. Samvel Karapetyan who was a big absent, surely during the turmoil after the 2018 upheaval due to Velvet Revolution, has emerged as the de facto leader of the opposition in Armenia, although he legally cannot take part of it.  It appears that Moscow has hedged its bet on Samvel Karapetyan and not on Robert Kocharyan.

The grand rule of politics is every politics is local. Armenia is no exception. Diaspora is not local. It is futile for Diaspora to align itself politically with Armenian factions. Diaspora’s stand with Armenia should be principled that transcends the local politics. During the past 70 years or so of Soviet rule, a faction of Diaspora stood against Soviet Armenia governance on principle. The other faction stood with Soviet Armenia, also on a principle. In the post-Soviet era Armenia, Diaspora should continue on standing by Armenia on principle as its fledgling democratic homeland, albeit in turmoil to chart its course, not Diaspora’s course. Free, independent and democratic Armenia will always lead the global nation we have become.

Attached is a tabulation of the 12 standing committees with their chairs and co-chairs.

Standing Committee		Chaired by	Co-chaired
1	Foreign Relations	Civil Contract	Civil Contract
2	Education, Science, Culture, Sports and Diaspora Issues	Civil Contract	Civil Contract
3	Healthcare	Civil Contract	Civil Contract
4	Labor and Welfare	Civil Contract	Civil Contract
5	Regional and Eurasian Integration	Civil Contract	Strong Armenia
6	Defense and Security Issues	Civil Contract	Strong Armenia
7	Economic Issues	Civil Contract	Strong Armenia
8	State and Legal Issues	Civil Contract	Armenia
9	Financial, Credit and Budgetary Issues	Strong Armenia	Civil Contract
10	Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government,	Strong Armenia	Civil Contract
11	European Integration	Strong Armenia	Civil Contract
12	Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs	Armenia	Strong Armenia