Armenian PM’s chief of staff slams Dashnaks for backing Garegin II, calls them hypocrites

Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Armenia, has accused members of the Dashnaktsutyun party of hypocrisy for supporting Catholicos Garegin II of All Armenians.

According to Armenian media reports cited by Caliber.Az, Harutyunyan sharply criticised the party’s position regarding church affairs.

“Another masterclass in hypocrisy from the Dashnaks.

For those unaware, let me clarify: the Patriarchate in Antelias (the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in Lebanon — ed.) is under the direct control and influence of Dashnaktsutyun. For decades, there has been a struggle between Antelias and Etchmiadzin within the diaspora to expand influence — involving fights, mutual complaints to governments of various countries, attempts to seize church buildings and territories from each other, abductions of believers, and so on.

Since the 1990s, there have been attempts to unite the two sees to create a single church, but the Dashnaks did everything to prevent this. And now they have come to Ktrich Nersisyan (Garegin II — ed.) to ‘save the church’ from ‘traitors.’ A truly exceptional example of hypocrisy,” Harutyunyan said.

By Khagan Isayev