Armenian PM says his party's victory boosts drive to overhaul Church leadership

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the ruling Civil Contract party's victory in the Council of Elders election in the consolidated community of Vagharshapat will give impetus to liberating the Holy Etchmiadzin from Garegin II. 

Pashinyan made the remarks addressing voters with a message in which he interpreted his party’s victory as a mandate to remove Catholicos Garegin II, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

The Civil Contract candidate Argishti Mehakyan won the vote in the enlarged Vagharshapat community of Armavir Province, which includes Etchmiadzin, Khoi and Voskehat settlements.

“Dear voters of the consolidated community of Vagharshapat! My deep respect to all of you, and congratulations first of all on holding democratic elections.

With your choice, you have affirmed several important points:

1. By electing the Civil Contract party’s candidate Argishti Mehakovich Mehakyan as head of the community, you confirmed that a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Republic of Armenia is the best way to honor the memory of our fallen, the greatest tribute to their sacrifice.

2. You demonstrated unwavering support for the Civil Contract party’s strategy to strengthen our statehood, independence, sovereignty and freedom.

3. Through your vote, you have given an important impetus to the process of liberating our holiest of holy sites, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, from Ktrich Nersisyan.

4. You highly valued the work of the Civil Contract party in your community over the previous period and forgave the mistakes that were made. I would like to apologize to all of you for those mistakes.

I congratulate Argishti Mehakyan on being elected head of the consolidated community of Vagharshapat, and I congratulate the residents of Vagharshapat on electing the modest yet effective Mehakyan as their administrator.

I congratulate all my colleagues in the Civil Contract party, and I congratulate all citizens of the Republic of Armenia on this brilliant beginning to the nationwide elections of 2026.

The people of the Republic of Armenia will prevail in the 2026 parliamentary elections,” Pashinyan stated.

By Khagan Isayev