Opposition MP accuses Pashinyan of fueling social divisions

Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of fueling social divisions by escalating tensions with the Armenian Apostolic Church, warning that the fallout could undermine the state’s resilience.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Abrahamyan, secretary of the Pativ Unem faction, said the government’s campaign against the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was less damaging to the church itself than to relations within society.

“Pashinyan is not inflicting as much damage on the Armenian Apostolic Church as he is on intra-societal relations,” the MP wrote.

He argued that while the church has been the primary target, its “natural immunity and high level of public trust” have blunted the impact of attacks. By contrast, he said Armenian society has been left vulnerable by years of polarizing rhetoric.

“Pashinyan delivered a major blow back in 2018 by poisoning the public atmosphere and injecting a large dose of hostility,” Abrahamyan said, referring to the year Pashinyan came to power. “Over the past seven to eight years, this process has continued in varying doses and within the current hostile campaign against the Mother See, the authorities are significantly increasing the level of animosity and hatred among the public.”

“The facts clearly show that Nikol is firing two shots at the state – at the Mother See and various segments of society, including his own supporters,” he said. “Taken together, they create serious problems for the state’s capacity to withstand challenges.”