Ahead of the June elections, Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract Party has published a political platform that calls for the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and outlines a politically led roadmap for restructuring the Armenian Apostolic Church. This unprecedented move, critics say, represents a direct violation of the country’s constitution and a dramatic escalation in state interference in religious affairs. The program, released ahead of upcoming elections, lists as its 10th political objective the removal of the “de facto head” of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, a reference to Catholicos Karekin II.