Clown in Armenian political circus Revelations of an oligarch

The leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, Gagik Tsarukyan, nicknamed “Dumb Gago,” made a series of “stunning” statements in an interview with Kentron TV. The most notable was his claim that he does not aspire to the position of prime minister of the republic. Surprisingly, given his background, he did not add that he also does not aspire to the presidency of Armenia, so that all questions about his political ambitions could be settled once and for all.

To avoid empty words, let us briefly review Tsarukyan’s life path. Convicted during Soviet times for group rape and robbery committed by prior conspiracy of a group of persons, in the 1990s he began actively developing his business, with rapid growth during Robert Kocharyan’s presidency. It was then that Tsarukyan created the multi-profile conglomerate “Multi Group,” which included alcohol production (vodka brands “ArArAt,” “Katarine”), construction, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, and casinos.

Tsarukyan’s closeness to the circles of power allowed him to secure business privileges, including monopolies in certain sectors, tax benefits, and protection from competitors. His relationship with Kocharyan was openly friendly — he was considered one of the closest allies of the then-president, which sparked sustained criticism from the opposition, pointing to a symbiosis between power and big capital.

Later on, Tsarukyan initially managed to maintain good relations with Serzh Sargsyan during the latter’s tenure as Armenia’s third president. It was then that he became not just a “bag of money,” but a full-fledged political player, and in 2004 he founded the Prosperous Armenia party, which quickly became the country’s second major political force. Now it’s somewhat amusing to recall, but PPA really did rise to the top of the Armenian, so to speak, political Olympus.

This was because Tsarukyan’s party balanced between loyalty to the authorities and populism, creating the image of an “alternative,” but without openly challenging the regime. Eventually, this balancing act led to a conflict with Sargsyan. By the middle of Sargsyan’s second term, relations between him and Tsarukyan had deteriorated, and in 2015, Tsarukyan sharply opposed Sargsyan’s idea of transitioning to a parliamentary republic, which was perceived as his attempt to remain in power through the prime minister’s office. There it is: Tsarukyan did have prime ministerial ambitions — and that’s a fact. And as we know, a fact is a stubborn thing, which is why his current statements sound so laughable.

As a result, in February 2015, Serzh Sargsyan publicly accused Tsarukyan of irresponsibility and threatening stability. This was accompanied by increased pressure on the business structures of “Multi Group” and a summons for Tsarukyan to the tax authorities.

And how did the oligarch act when faced with the threat of losing everything he had “earned through hard work”? Right — he quickly understood the situation and officially announced his withdrawal from politics.

But soon after, he personally reneged on this promise and returned to Armenian politics. Tsarukyan did this following the guidance of his “older comrade” Robert Kocharyan. After the “Barbecue Revolution,” which brought Nikol Pashinyan to power and declared the dismantling of old oligarchic structures, Tsarukyan once again took the helm of the Prosperous Armenia party and tried to use his populism to mobilize voters against the new government.

He especially pushed hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. However, it was all in vain. Moreover, in 2020, a criminal case was opened against him, and the Armenian parliament, at the government’s initiative, stripped him of parliamentary immunity. So the oligarch was targeted where it hurt most, which is why all his speeches about “refusing” the prime minister’s chair sound just like his “unwillingness” to rule planet Earth — or maybe even the entire galaxy.

However, in his interview, Tsarukyan did not stop there and declared that Armenia “needs to put forward people who prioritize the interests of the state and are concerned about the country’s future.” Given his long-standing ties to Robert Kocharyan, it’s hard not to notice the “elephant” that Gagik Tsarukyan is trying to “hide” in his simplistic reasoning.

And what do you call a situation where the leader of a party with the grand name “Prosperous Armenia” speaks about the “importance of restoring the country”?! Some kind of strange “prosperity” has prevailed in the neighboring republic — a so-called “triumph” that led to fiasco. In a word, such contradictory definitions can only exist in the mind of a billionaire. Although, judging by his further statement — “My main goal is for my country to be strong, so my children and grandchildren do not become impoverished” — he is clearly not as dumb as his nickname suggests.

As they say, “charity begins at home” — Tsarukyan does not want everything he owns to be taken away from him. He dreams of a comfortable and well-fed life for himself, his children, and grandchildren. And for that, he is ready to play anyone’s tune. So, prosperity will remain with the Tsarukyans, while the fight against poverty will be left to the citizens of Armenia.

Another note in this ode to absurdity was Tsarukyan’s statement regarding the former leaders of the Karabakh junta, who regularly appear in Baku courts with loud accusations exposing Armenia’s criminal aggressive policy towards Azerbaijan.

“As long as there are Armenians in Azerbaijani prisons, the Armenian people cannot live peacefully,” Tsarukyan declared. This raises a number of quite logical questions. For example: “Can the Armenian people live peacefully while Armenians are held in prisons in Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and elsewhere?” Then: “Should the people of Armenia be distracted by the case of the former Karabakh junta leaders if they need to focus on rebuilding the country so that Tsarukyan, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continue to prosper?” The list could go on indefinitely, but it seems enough has been said to understand how ridiculous both “Dumb Gago” himself is as a political pawn, and the entire Armenian establishment as a whole.

Although, let’s give Gagik Tsarukyan some credit, considering his turbulent past marked by the scent of Soviet prison beds—after all, he is not the only clown in the Armenian political circus.