Archbishop Galstanyan demands peaceful resignation from Armenian PM Amid massive rally

In a significant escalation of political tension, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, head of the opposition "Tavush for the Motherland" movement, has publicly called for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign peacefully.

The demand was made during a large opposition rally near Pashinyan's government residence, TASS reports.

Addressing the crowd, Galstanyan stated, "Nikol Pashinyan, we need to meet. There is something to discuss. Leave [your post] peacefully, without shocks." The rally, attended by thousands of opposition supporters, saw participants march from the center of Yerevan to the vicinity of Pashinyan's summer dacha, demonstrating significant mobilization against the current administration.

In response to the growing unrest, the police have cordoned off the parliamentary building, which is located less than a kilometer from the Prime Minister's summer residence. Despite the heightened security and the location of the rally, Deputy Chief of Staff Taron Chakhoyan assured that Prime Minister Pashinyan is currently in the flood-affected areas in the north of the country, not at his summer residence.