Armenian protest leader announces renewed push for regime change

Armenian protest leader announces renewed push for regime change

PanARMENIAN.Net - Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan vowed to resume next week street protests aimed at toppling Prime Minister NikolPashiniyn as he gathered thousands of supporters at a concert hall in Yerevan on Sunday, September 22, RFE/RL's Armenian service reports.

Galstanyan said that his anti-government movement sparked by Pashinian’s territorial concessions to Azerbaijan is entering an “intensive and consistent phase.”

“We must form a new government which will be merit-based and will become a government of unity,” he told the audience that included senior representatives of Armenia’s main opposition groups.

Galstaniyan went on to announce that his next rally in Yerevan’s central Republic Square will take place on October 2. He did not say whether it will be followed by the kind of daily protests which he held in the Armenian capital in May and June. He urged supporters to gear up for a “patient struggle” for regime change.

His opposition-backed movement was generated by protests that erupted in Armenia’s northern Tavush province in April following Pashiniayan’s decision to cede four local border areas to AzerbaijanGalstaniayan, who headed the provincial diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, quickly emerged as their leader.

After failing to scuttle the land transfer, the outspoken archbishop shifted the protests to Yerevan in early May to demand Pashinyan’s resignation. His rallies held there attracted tens of thousands of people. The most recent of them took place on June 17.

Pashinyan alleged in May that foreign intelligence “agents” are involved in the protests. He did not name them. Some of his political allies branded Galstanyan as a Russian spy. The 53-year-old clergyman, who also holds Canadian citizenship, laughed off the allegations.

Lawmakers representing Armenia’s Civil Contract party expressed confidence last month that fresh protests planned by Galstanyan will also fail to unseat Pashinian and his government.

 Top stories
As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed.
David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners.
The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said.
Partner news
---