By Wally Sarkeesian

Sometimes history appears in the most unexpected places.

The recent engagement of Samuel Chatto, the grandson of Princess Margaret and great-nephew of King Charles III, to British-Armenian artist Eleanor Ekserdjian is more than just another royal engagement. For Armenians around the world, it is also a reminder that our heritage continues to inspire and flourish across generations and borders.

Eleanor Ekserdjian has never hidden her Armenian roots. Instead, she has embraced them through her work as an artist and filmmaker. After visiting Armenia, she created works inspired by the country’s landscapes, history, and culture. Her exhibition, We Are Our Mountains, carries the name of one of the most recognizable symbols of Armenian identity and reflects themes of memory, homeland, and the enduring spirit of the Armenian people.

In a world where Armenian history is too often overlooked, it is encouraging to see a young artist proudly celebrating her heritage through creativity rather than politics. Her work reminds us that identity is preserved not only by governments and institutions, but also by artists, writers, musicians, and ordinary families who pass their traditions from one generation to the next.

The engagement has also drawn attention for another reason. Samuel Chatto, himself a ceramic artist, proposed with a porcelain engagement ring that he crafted by hand. In an age of luxury brands and extravagance, the handmade ring symbolizes something far more meaningful: love, dedication, and personal craftsmanship

For Armenians everywhere, this happy occasion is worth celebrating. Eleanor Ekserdjian represents a generation that carries Armenian culture into the future with confidence, talent, and pride. Her success demonstrates that Armenian heritage continues to enrich the cultural life of the world while remaining deeply connected to its roots.

We wish Samuel Chatto and Eleanor Ekserdjian a lifetime of happiness, health, and success as they begin this new chapter together. May their future be filled with love, creativity, and the same appreciation for history and culture that has already brought so much beauty to their work.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Editor’s Note: Eleanor Ekserdjian is a British-Armenian artist whose work has explored Armenian history, culture, and identity. We congratulate the happy couple and wish them every happiness in their future together.

By Wally Sarkeesian

The idea of an Armenian government in exile is not new. It has been discussed by many people over the years. The question is whether the Armenian nation has the will and the infrastructure to make such an idea meaningful if circumstances ever require it.

After the Armenian Genocide, Armenians throughout the diaspora built churches, schools, cultural organizations, charities, and community institutions. But we always looked to the Republic of Armenia as our homeland and the center of our national life. That is natural. The challenge is that we never developed enough independent, global infrastructure that could continue to represent Armenian national interests if the government in Yerevan failed to do so.

My greatest concern is that a nation should never become completely dependent on a single government or a single political leader. If the future of an entire nation can be altered by the decisions of one individual, then that nation has a structural weakness that must be addressed.

It should never take just one person to place an entire nation at risk. Whether that person comes to power through elections or any other means, no country’s institutions should be so fragile that one leader can fundamentally reshape its destiny. Our national institutions must be strong enough to protect Armenia regardless of who occupies the prime minister’s office.

No country should depend so heavily on a single leader. People are also highly susceptible to being brainwashed, turning political support into something resembling a cult of personality. This makes the situation even riskier.

That is why Armenian urgently needs an independent structure – such as an Armenian Government in Exile—to monitor developments inside the country, continue diplomatic and lobbying efforts, and serve as a safeguard for national interests.

Foreign governments, particularly adversaries, invest billions in intelligence operations whose primary task is to identify, recruit, and influence key figures. It should therefore come as no surprise if Pashinyan has been compromised by Turkey. His policies -ceding Artsakh, dismantling constitutional protections, building a massive loyal police force, and bringing the Constitutional Court under his direct control – have left him with almost unlimited power and no real institutional checks. Judges appear unable or unwilling to stand against him.

Arthur Khachikian holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Stanford University. His dissertation and research focused on great power politics and intervention in the international system as well as international history

In such circumstances, Armenia cannot rely solely on internal mechanisms. An independent outside organization is essential to protect the state and its future.

That is why some people discuss the concept of a government in exile – not necessarily as a replacement for Armenia, but as a potential institution to preserve national interests, advocate internationally, and coordinate the diaspora during times of crisis.

Of course, this would require enormous effort. It would need capable leadership, financial support, legal expertise, and, perhaps most importantly, a country willing to host such an institution. Without those elements, it would remain only an idea.

Most importantly, it would require dedicated people willing to devote years of their lives to building institutions instead of simply reacting to events. In my experience, I’ve often seen remarkable dedication from Armenian women in community organizations. They frequently become the people who keep institutions running and get things done. Ultimately, however, success would require the commitment and cooperation of both women and men.

These are questions worth discussing now, because if a nation waits until a crisis has fully unfolded, the opportunity to prepare may already have passed.

By Wally Sarkeesian

We are taking on a great responsibility.

We must work together to ensure the continued development of our country. But before we speak about development, let us clearly define what we have inherited from the previous incompetent authorities.

We have inherited:
a lost second homeland.
Occupied territories within the sovereign borders of Armenia by Azerbaijan.
The consequences of a bloody war, with severe human and territorial losses.

We have inherited a failure in foreign policy—
because of speaking to our key allies in the language of blackmail,
we have lost their trust.

Today, Armenia has become a center of geopolitical conflict.

We have inherited:
our best compatriots imprisoned in Baku.

In the economy, we have inherited:
a collapsed system,
21% poverty,
a society drowning in debt,
and a national debt approaching $15 billion.

The potential of the diaspora has been pushed out of Armenia’s economic life.
Domestic investors have become completely indifferent due to pressure from law enforcement bodies.

But we are here to change this reality.

What are we going to do?

First, we will work 24 hours a day.
We will build a united and strong society.
We will restore the role and place of the Church in our national life.

Justice, rule of law, and humanity will become the foundation of our state.

And as we promised,
we will deliver real, guaranteed peace.
I personally guarantee it.

---

Now, I would like to give the floor to Narek Karapetyan, who will present our economic plans.

---

Thank you.

Our next steps are clear.

Within the next two weeks, a law will be submitted to the National Assembly that will exempt small businesses from turnover tax.
This will create at least 50,000 new jobs over the next five years.

At the same time, we aim to create up to 300,000 jobs for our people.

Second,
we will create competitive economic conditions for both medium and large businesses, making Armenia one of the most attractive countries in the region for investment.

We will implement programs to:
develop local production,
reduce imports,
and strengthen domestic manufacturing.

To rebuild Armenia, we need major foreign investments,
and we will ensure their rapid inflow in a very short time.

In the coming meetings, we will present new economic development programs,
which, in my view, will be revolutionary for Armenia.

Do you know why he is holding a motorcade? Because he does not dare to hold a rally.

He has no hope that at least a more-or-less crowded rally will turn out. And forming a column of 10-20-30 cars is not difficult, and that column already gives the impression of being crowded… well, and the people hidden in the cars are both providing a service to the authorities and not very visible to others.

Don’t be surprised if some of those people also appear at the opposition rallies tomorrow. And don’t forget that at this stage of the “life-or-death” struggle, they have put all their administrative resources into action – with community leaders, law enforcement officers… and even “heavy artillery” – Anna joined her ex-husband today… perhaps the situation is really difficult – the last bullets are being fired.

Do you know why in recent years he has been organizing shows, governors, Jennifer Lopez, concerts, New Year’s celebrations, and today there will be another concert in Gyumri… so that people tired of the stress and psychological terror he has caused himself can involuntarily participate in them to relieve themselves a little and pretend that this is his electorate, that so many people accept and elect him…

And the meaning of these titanic efforts and cunning is one thing: to inspire the public that they have already “carried” the defeat of all normal Armenians in the June 7 elections…

But people should clearly realize that if this time he managed to deceive, fool the public and repeat the history of 21, in one of his next speeches he will already explain why Armenians do not have the right to have a state and how he himself made the choice between “saving” the lives of 2 million people and becoming a province of Azerbaijan, and what a great “courage” he is to demonstrate in making that difficult decision, and some mentally retarded people will propose to erect his statue in Republic Square…

Source Hraparak Daily,

Since early morning, the head of state has been sending another order to the heavy artillery of the CP via WhatsApp. This time, the order was to maximally discredit the two women of the “Strong Armenia” party who were detained yesterday and to create an atmosphere of fear. The notorious CP members, without waiting for each other, go live and post in the style of “we will put everyone in jail”, “catch them, they are rigging the election”.

Members of the same force that have repeatedly falsified and distorted similar recordings are now using the recording, which does not contain any criminally punishable elements, as a banner to try to convince the public that Gohar Ghumashyan, who has a newborn child, rigged the election and let the country down.

Social Minister Arsen Torosyan convinces live that Pashinyan is not providing individual assistance to people who approach him, but is solving systemic problems, but he does not mention how finding a person a good job can be a solution to a systemic problem. We all remember how Pashinyan instructed the young man who approached him to find a “good job.”

MP, head of the CP faction Hayk Kojoryan is predicting that the opposition will shoot several more protesters in the street next or sacrifice the state, forgetting to mention that the only force that has sacrificed the Armenian state to date is their CP.

Ruben Rubinyan warns people associated with “Strong Armenia” that they will be arrested, regardless of gender, age, and whether they have a newborn, if they decide that they have distributed electoral bribes. Even though there was no mention of bribery in the recording they attached.

The heaviest “artilleryman”, Arayik Harutyunyan, also believes that the purpose of the joint opposition rally is to exert pressure so that the opposition is not arrested on charges of electoral bribery. This person is either fooling us or himself. In his opinion, is there no other reason to hold a rally against the government that has brought the country to this state?

It is clear that the reason for this CP “rally” is the fear of the rally announced by Ishkhan Saghatelyan last night. The large number of people at the previous rally suggests that the next one may be more influential and the CP leader is terrified of it.

These are spiraling really badly out of control. We have three of the wealthiest Arab nations that are now considering pulling out of the U.S. economy, pulling out investments because of the cost of this war that has been waged by Donald Trump. And when I say that they are, they are the foundation of our economy, and if they pull out their investments, it could crash our economy. That is an understatement. And now we have this letter that was just sent to Donald Trump and published for all of us to read by the leading businessman of the United Arab Emirates. His name is Khalaf Hamad Al Habtour. You’re going to need to sit down for this as I read this.

His Excellency President Donald Trump, a direct question. Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with Iran? And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision? Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger? And did you consider that the first to suffer from this escalation will be the countries of the region itself? The people of this region have the right to ask as well. Was this your decision alone, or did it come as a result of pressures from Netanyahu and his government? You have placed the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab countries at the heart of a danger they did not choose. Thank God we are strong and capable of defending ourselves, and we have armies and defenses that protect our homelands, but the question remains: Who permitted you to turn our region? into a battlefield.

Before the ink has dried on your Board of Peace initiative that you announced in the name of peace and stability, we find ourselves facing a military escalation that endangers our entire region. So where did those initiatives go? And what is the fate of the commitments made in the name of peace? Most of the funding proposed in your initiatives came from the countries of the regions themselves and from Arab Gulf countries that contributed billions of dollars on the basis of supporting stability and development. And these countries have the right to ask today, where did this money go? And are we funding peace initiatives or funding a war that exposes us to danger? More dangerous than that, your decision threatens not only the people of the region but also the American people, whom you promised peace and prosperity. And here they are today, finding themselves in a war funded from their money and taxes, which costs, according to the Institute of Policy Studies, between $40 to $65 billion for direct military operations and could reach $210 billion, including economic impacts and indirect losses, if it lasts four to five weeks.

Not to mention the sacrifice of Americans themselves in a war in which they have neither camel nor she-camel, which I take that phrase to mean being on foot. You have even broken your promises not to get involved in wars and to focus only on America and put it at the top of your priorities, as you ordered foreign military interventions during your second term that included seven countries: Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Iran, and Venezuela, in addition to naval operations in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. You directed more than 658 foreign airstrikes in your first year in office, which equals the total number of strikes in Biden’s entire term, for which you directed your arrows of criticism for involving the United States in foreign wars. Your Excellency, the President, these numbers have severely affected your approval rating in America.

Source: Bayo News Network

Anna Hakobyan prepared a heartbreaking text about the deprivations she has lived with during these years, not even having money for clothes. “Hraparak”

The “Hraparak” daily writes: For the sake of votes, for the sake of keeping power, Nikol Pashinyan is ready for the most incredible, crazy steps, he is ready to “sacrifice” even his family, make his personal life a subject of public discussion, put everything on the altar, just to be re-elected and remain in the post of Prime Minister.

Pensions and benefits, raising the salaries of kindergarten teachers, maintaining the water supply schedule, increasing the amount of declaration amounts and other decisions, as well as many promises that will certainly be made in the near future, are aimed at this. Just as the ceasefire declared in the campaign against the Church, the formation of Varchabend, the holding of intra-party primaries, personnel transfers, etc., which are part of the arsenal of political technologies, are aimed at this. From that arsenal are also the lofty statements that if we are not there, there will be no peace, if we are not elected, Trump’s path will not be built.

Yesterday, this pre-election theater was replenished with another one: Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, announced her divorce from her husband, leaving the government summer house and living on rent. She had prepared a heartbreaking text about the deprivations and restraints she has lived with during these years, that she did not even have money for clothes, she borrowed designer clothes “on the street”, wore them, appeared at some state ceremony, and then returned them to the owners. The couple, who create an image of poor, destitute people, probably hopes that the voter will sympathize with them, value the prime minister for not wasting the state budget on his wife, and they will get a few more votes. Or they will use this to refute the rumors about corruption, the negative impression left by the paid dinners of the “My Step” foundation.

By the way, yesterday, behind the scenes of the CP, they were discussing that the idea of ​​this theater was Pashinyan’s, he understands that his wife has a high anti-rating, that in the Armenian reality she has managed to become “Sashik 2”, so he suggested that Anna Hakobyan officially leave his life; perhaps this departure, even if insignificant, will help their joint cause – his reproduction.

Pashinyan probably thinks that the voter has forgotten the promises he and his group made in 2021 and hopes that this time, by misleading the voter, he can reproduce himself in a third term.

And what did he promise five years ago, on the eve of the elections on June 20, 2021? The CP made the most extravagant promises in its pre-election program regarding Artsakh: the realization of the right of the Artsakh people to self-determination, guaranteeing the security of the Artsakh people, de-occupation of Shushi and Hadrut, and the resolution of the conflict by ensuring the rights of the Artsakh Armenians. Even before that, when the whole country was demanding his resignation, he was making heartbreaking speeches, asking for 6 months to change the situation and publishing a roadmap. He promised to restore the Artsakh negotiation process in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship, and to return the captives as soon as possible, and to resolve the issue of the missing.

“The captives will forgive us for staying in captivity for a month, two more months,” Pashinyan shamelessly declared during the campaign. Those 1-2 months have already turned into 5 or more years, to which the military-political leaders of Artsakh, who have been tortured in Baku for 2.5 years, have also been added. He promised to sign a peace treaty, but it was only initialed, and the Azerbaijani president continues to give Pashinyan homework: change the Constitution, get rid of the Declaration, refuse international lawsuits, etc.

The promises made by Pashinyan’s team in the social sphere have also remained on paper. “Reduce unemployment to below 10%; Reduce the poverty level by half; Increase the average pension from 43,500 drams to 61,000 drams; Increase the minimum pension from 26,500 drams to 37,000 drams; Increase the minimum salary from 68,000 drams to at least 85,000 drams,” Pashinyan promised in his 2021 election program. Let’s see what the picture is now, with official figures. According to information published by the Statistical Committee, according to the data for the 3rd quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate was 11.8%. The average pension, instead of the promised 61 thousand, is 49 thousand 32 drams. The minimum pension was increased only after 5 years, and at that, in a desperate way. From April 1, 2 months before the elections, people will receive 10 thousand more. The promise regarding the minimum wage has not been fulfilled either. Now the minimum wage is 75 thousand drams.

So, the grandiose promises made before the 2026 elections will suffer the same fate, if by some miracle the CP is reproduced. But Aliyev’s promises about “Western Azerbaijan”, 300 thousand Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, taking Tigranashen and receiving the Zangezur corridor will become reality.

Details in today’s issue of the “Hraparak” daily.

By Wally Sarkeesian,

Endless Wars & Concentration of power in one man’s hand:

History shows how dangerous that can be. From figures like Adolf Hitler to more recent leaders, major conflicts and crises have often been driven by the choices of one individual. That’s a serious flaw in how many political systems are structured.

There are exceptions. In countries like Switzerland, power is more distributed. Leadership rotates, and decisions are made collectively rather than resting on one person’s authority. It’s a very different model.

The concern is that people often place too much trust in a single leader, voting for one individual to carry enormous responsibility. When power is that centralized, the risk of misuse or poor decisions is always there-and that’s a problem many societies continue to face.

Look at the United States as an example. Leaders often campaign one way and govern another, and major military actions can still end up tied to decisions at the top.

George H. W. Bush led the Gulf War in Iraq. Then Bill Clinton, who wasn’t elected on a war platform, still oversaw military interventions, including NATO’s campaign in Yugoslavia.

After that, George W. Bush came in saying he would avoid nation-building, yet the U.S. went into Iraq and Afghanistan. Then Barack Obama, elected in part on anti-war sentiment, authorized actions in Libya and expanded involvement in Syria.

More recently, under Joe Biden, the U.S. has supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. And even Donald Trump, who often spoke against wars, still authorized military strikes during his presidency.

The broader issue is that, despite elections and promises, major decisions—especially about war—can still come down to a small group of leaders, sometimes even one person. That concentration of power is what worries many people, because the consequences affect millions.

According to a report by Hetq, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his Deputy Prime Ministers received significant bonuses in 2025, raising questions about government compensation practices and transparency.

Based on official information obtained by Hetq via a written request to the Armenian government, **Pashinyan received about 11.95 million AMD in performance-related bonuses in the first half of 2025. Additionally, he was awarded approximately 1.97 million AMD in a separate bonus. This brings his total bonus for that period to nearly 13.9 million AMD (~$35,700 USD at typical exchange rates). **

The Hetq report also notes that, combined with bonuses paid to the two Deputy Prime Ministers and others in the Prime Minister’s Office, **Pashinyan, his deputies, and senior staff received a total of 51.6 million AMD in bonuses and reward payments for the period from 2021 through 2025. **

These figures emerged in the context of broader reporting on government compensation, which has included discussion of salary increases for ministers and senior officials in recent years. For example, media reporting has noted past increases in ministerial and deputy ministerial salaries and the use of bonus systems tied to performance and other criteria. **

Supporters of the bonus practice argue that such payments are part of legally authorized wage and reward systems that are included in the state budget. Critics, however, point to concerns about transparency and fairness, especially in a context where average incomes in Armenia remain modest and public institutions are under strain.