Analyst Musa Miqayelyan wrote an article about the terrible event of October 27, 1999 and talked about Armenian political life, before and after the event:
“13 years ago, on October 27, Armenians were having their regular day with everyday’s problems, discussions and announcements against corruptions. But all that was going to dramatically change in few hours just in few seconds.
In 1999, October 27, RA National Assembly was having its usual session when suddenly group of terrorists, headed by Nairi Hunanyan, entered the building and killed 8 Armenian High officials: PM Vazgen Sargsyan, NA Speaker Karen Demirchyan, Vice presidents of NA Yuri Bakhshyan and Robert Miroyan, Regional Minister, Leonard Petrosyan, MPs Armen Armenakyan, Henrik Abrahamyan and Michael Kotanyan. 8 people became the victims of grave terrorist attack.
After 13 years from that day Armenians still try to find out who was behind that attack, who would gain profit from the attack, why to hit the young country from its back. The most terrible thing was that Armenia at that time was very young country and it was a very strong shock for all of us. October 27 changed us a lot.
We can’t say what would have happened if 10/27 didn’t happen. Would Armenia take the route of development or not? Furthermore, even before October 27 in 1999 Armenia was not on the right track. Thus it is useless to discuss what would have happened if not the terrorist attack. But people would have been alive and their families wouldn’t feel the pain of great loss.
But we know what happened after that day and what is still going on. In the practical reality the corruption, oligarchic development, the silencing of the voice of Armenia developed and rooted in Armenia. And its pick was 2008 March 1st, when for the reorganization of authoritative system in Yerevan, 10 people were killed.
And all this is not just a result of imagination; it is all reality that began after October 27. And it is obvious that nobody on a state level learnt any lesson from October 27. Otherwise we wouldn’t have what we have now. The terrorist got what they wanted, their aim was to weaken the state and the people who came to power after October 27 justified their estimations. Again, need to be repeated that before the attack, Armenia wasn’t a competitive and strong country. But the thing is, that October 27 should have made us realize that we a need a totally different country, a country where the problems won’t be solved by blood.
But the lesson was not learnt. And the reality after 13 years is the pain on state and social level.
And the lesson of that day still remains one of the unsolved problems of Armenian society, political powers and the government.
