Tigran Abrahamyan, Secretary of the I Have Honor parliamentary faction, claimed on Facebook that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s comments following Civil Contract’s victory in Vagharshapat show intent to escalate attacks against the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Referring to the election and ensuing political statements, Abrahamyan said: “Pashinyan effectively announces that the victory will serve as new momentum for attacks on the Mother See.”
He argued that even before the vote, it was clear that taking control of the city wasn’t about local governance but was tied to broader objectives against the Church.
“This scenario was discussed before the elections, and it was clear from the outset that winning Vagharshapat was necessary not for governance in the classic sense, but in the context of operations against the Catholicosate.”
He said this was why “the entire state apparatus was focused on Vagharshapat because it was not a municipal initiative, but a stage in a broader project aimed at endangering the nation.”
“Although the Civil Contract candidate in Vagharshapat avoided making explicit statements against the Catholicos and the Church, the government had different expectations.”
Abrahamyan concluded that the candidate’s role was to maintain external appearances and advance the process to the necessary point, after which “those responsible for anti-state actions against the Church, national values, and the public will take over.”
According to preliminary results, Civil Contract received the most votes in Vagharshapat. The party list was led by Argishti Mekhakyan.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the results provide “important momentum to liberate the Mother See” and that “the people will win the 2026 parliamentary elections.”
