Hovik Aghazaryan, a former MP expelled from the ruling Civil Contract party, said Armenian society is “sick”—a condition he believes also includes Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
“Perhaps the symptoms affect him less, because he’s a strong person,” Aghazaryan told reporters, according to Aysor.am .
He argued that Pashinyan will fail to impose his vision within the Church.
“We all know, including the clergy, that there are shortcomings. The prime minister knew about them five years ago—so why wasn’t anything done then? Because there was no need. Now there is,” he said.
According to Aghazaryan, Pashinyan’s best-case outcome will be causing a rift within the Church and further dividing the diaspora—ultimately isolating himself within a vision he calls the “Real Armenia,” tied to his fixation on building a so-called Fourth Republic.
He also stated that the prime minister has no right to demand the resignation of the Catholicos of All Armenians.
On October 21, Catholicos Karekin II defrocked Father Aram Asatryan, reducing him to lay status under the name Stepan Asatryan. Despite this, Asatryan announced he would serve a liturgy at Hovhannavank on Sunday, with Prime Minister Pashinyan confirming his planned attendance.
