Armenian premier on Vaharshapat elections: `important impulse` in  `liberation of Holy See` 

ArmInfo. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to the election results in Armenia's spiritual capital, Vagharshapat, with a social media post early this morning. He also posted a video of himself in his office, listening to a  "revolutionary" song whose chorus goes: "I'm not alone, not alone,  not alone: I'm walking, walking, walking."

Elections to the Council of Elders in the enlarged community of  Vagharshapat in the Armavir region were held on May 16. According to  preliminary results from the Central Election Commission, the ruling  Civil Contract party received 48.5% of the vote, securing a majority  in the community council and the ability to single-handedly form the  government. The Victory bloc (including the Forward and  Dashnaktsutyun parties) came in second with 31.9%, and Mother Armenia  came in third with 5.4%. Pashinyan congratulated the voters of the  enlarged community of Vagharshapat on holding democratic elections.  With this vote, the Prime Minister noted, voters made a number of  important conclusions.

"You elected Argishti Mekhakievich Mekhakyan, candidate from the  Civil Contract party, as head of the community, confirming that a  peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Republic of Armenia is the best  way to perpetuate the memory of our martyrs and the greatest tribute  to their memory.

You have provided unwavering support for the Civil Contract party's  strategy to strengthen our statehood, independence, sovereignty, and  freedom," he wrote.

Furthermore, Pashinyan noted, with this vote, the community residents  "gave an important impetus to the process of liberating our holy  site, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, from Ktrich Nersisyan (the  secular name of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II - ed.)." Thus,  the Prime Minister noted, the residents of Vagharshapat highly  appreciated the work accomplished by the Civil Contract party in the  community over the previous period and forgave the mistakes made.

"I congratulate all my colleagues from the Civil Contract party, I  congratulate all the citizens of the Republic of Armenia on this  brilliant start to the 2026 national elections. The people of the  Republic of Armenia will win the 2026 parliamentary elections," he  stated.

Since May 29, when Pashinyan compared Armenian churches to closets at  a government meeting, and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, called clergy the  country's main pedophiles, the head of the Armenian Cabinet has been  raising the issue of celibacy among the clergy of the Armenian  Apostolic Church. He claims to have evidence of celibacy violations  by a number of clergy, including Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin  II, who, in his opinion, should resign. Pashinyan claims his goal is  to liberate his sacred place "from filth." To this end, in late July,  he called on his supporters to prepare for the expulsion of the  Catholicos from his residence in Etchmiadzin. The prime minister also  proposed creating a coordination group to remove Garegin II and elect  a new Catholicos.