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Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of the Tavush for the Homeland protest movement, named two reasons why Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not visit the Sardarapat Memorial on Republic Day marked on May 28.

Protesters led by Galstanyan spent the night there to celebrate the 106th anniversary of the establishment of the first independent Armenian republic in 1918. The senior cleric called the gathering a pilgrimage in which the participants laid flowers at the memorial, said a prayer and sang the country's national anthem.

Traditionally, the Armenian government members led by the prime minister visited the Sardarapat Memorial early on May 28 to attend official ceremonies marking the public holiday. Media reports suggest that Pashinyan has decided to skip a trip to the memorial today.

“There can be two reasons. First, he has nothing to do with the country and its symbols any longer. He has separated “real Armenia” from “historical Armenia,” and, apparently, this holiday is a part of “historical Armenia” for him,” Galstanyan told reporters at the memorial.

“The second reason is that Pashinyan could have been told from outside not to come here,” he added, pointing to Turkey.