Mandate is more expensive than principles: Kocharyan abruptly changed his mind

Just recently, Robert Kocharyan and his allies insisted they would never participate in a parliament formed through elections whose results they refused to recognize. Their rhetoric was uncompromising, leaving little room for any alternative.

Yet once the Central Electoral Commission officially allocated parliamentary seats, that firm stance appeared to soften. Instead of boycotting the legislature, they chose to take up their mandates and continue their political struggle from within parliament.

The shift raises an obvious question: was this a matter of political pragmatism outweighing previous principles? After all, a parliamentary mandate provides not only a platform to challenge the government but also the legal protections and influence that come with elected office. It is difficult to reconcile accepting those benefits with continuing to reject the legitimacy of the very election that made them possible.