Archbishop: Spirit of hope alive, will be reignited in due time

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of the Holy Struggle movement, has hailed the opposition’s success in the municipal elections in Armenia’s Gyumri and Parakar communities.

Although the ruling Civil Contract party secured the most votes overall, it fell well short of an absolute majority in the Gyumri municipal council, which is responsible for appointing the mayor. According to the official results, the party will hold only 14 of the council’s 33 seats, while the remaining 19 will be controlled by four opposition factions.

“We all won in Gyumri and Parakar,” Galstanyan said in a Facebook live video on Saturday. “I want this victory to be seen as a win for everyone – a spark that spreads, showing people they can triumph.”

Commenting on Prime Minister Pashinyan’s recent remarks about a shortage of personnel, the archbishop said, “There are plenty of vacancies within the state system. I’m glad people are refusing to collaborate with the current government of evil – not because of low pay, but because they refuse to be complicit.”

He emphasized that Armenia has many professionals, but the country remains in crisis due to a government "lacking vision, purpose or direction".

“The spirit of hope has not faded. It will be reignited at the right time and that moment is not far away," Galstanyan added.