Armenia, like many countries of the former Soviet Union, has had a history of soft authoritarianism. For 10 years up to April 9, the country’s president, Serzh Sargsyan, had ruled pretty much without opposition. His election in 2008 had caused protests that were suppressed, leaving 10 dead. A few protests in the intervening years changed little.

Facing term limits for the presidency, Sargsyan in 2015 pushed through a constitutional change that would place much more power in the Parliament and remove it from the presidency. On April 9, 2018, a new president, Armen Sargsyan (no relation) became president. Three days later, Serzh Sargsyan was elected prime minister by his own party, which had won the Parliament.

The protests of this shuffle began immediately. They continued for 10 days when, yesterday, Serzh Sargsyan met with the leader of the opposition, Nicol Pashinyan at the Marriott hotel that faces the central Republic Square. Rather incredibly their meeting was in public view with cameras and microphones on the table between the men. The conversation lasted less than 10 minutes with Sargsyan walking out after reminding Pashinyan of what happened in 2008 and saying that the minority did not represent the people. Pashinyan replied, “people have taken the power.”