Ruling Party Leads Vote in Armenia’s Spiritual Capital During Rising Pressure on Ancient Christian Church

Local elections were held Sunday in Vagharshapat, Armenia’s fifth-largest city and the historic home of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church, drawing attention from religious observers and Christian communities worldwide.

According to preliminary results released Monday, the ruling Civil Contract party, led locally by Argishti Mekhakyan, is leading with 48.5% of the vote. Voter turnout in the newly enlarged Vagharshapat community reached 45.12%, with 31,527 ballots cast out of 69,866 registered voters, officials said.

Vagharshapat, also known by its historic and widely-used name Ejmiatsin, is considered the spiritual capital of Armenia and is home to Etchmiadzin Cathedral, believed to be the world’s oldest state-built Christian cathedral. For this reason, the election drew attention beyond Armenia’s borders, with some Christian observers expressing concern about the vote occurring during rising political tensions between the Armenian government and the country’s ancient Church.

In recent months, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and senior government figures have clashed publicly with Church leadership, accusing high-ranking clergy of political influence, financial misconduct and what officials call “anti-state activity.” Authorities have detained several clerics, and Pashinyan has repeatedly called for the resignation of Catholicos Karekin II, the Church’s worldwide spiritual leader.

Critics say the campaign represents an unprecedented government intrusion into religious life and could undermine centuries-old Christian heritage. Some Armenian believers and international Christian groups have described the rhetoric and arrests as “targeted intimidation” and “an attack on religious authority.” Supporters of Pashinyan argue that the government’s actions are aimed at accountability and modernization, not the Christian faith or worship.

Eight political forces competed in the election. According to preliminary figures:

• Victory Alliance — 31.9%

• Pan-Armenian Front — 1%

• Hanrapetutyun — 3.9%

• Mother Armenia Alliance — 5.4%

• Free Democrats — 3.7%

• Heritage — 1.4%

• Civil Contract — 48.5%

• Homeland — 3.8%

Voting was held at 47 polling stations, including 23 in the city of Ejmiatsin and 24 in surrounding villages. Civil Contract previously won about 54% of the vote in 2021, though participation at that time was significantly lower at 25.8%.

Election monitors, including the Eyewitness mission, the Independent Observer, and the International Center for the Development of Parliamentarism, reported procedural violations ranging from improper ballot handling to possible voter influence near polling stations. Observers also documented instances of unsealed ballot boxes, unauthorized persons entering polling sites, and brief electricity outages but said none appeared widespread enough to invalidate the results.

For many Armenian Christians — and for Christians abroad who view Etchmiadzin as a sacred center of apostolic history — the election outcome now raises questions about whether political pressure on the Church will escalate, de-escalate or shift into legal, media or administrative arenas.

Civil Contract party representatives were seen in the streets of Ejmiatsin in the early morning hours celebrating with a live traditional Armenian band. Among those present were Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Davit Khudatyan, and additional Civil Contract members of parliament.

The Mother See has not issued an official post-election statement.

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