YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian patriarchal Vicar of Istanbul Archbishop Aram Ateshian submitted a written request to Istanbul Governor’s Office asking to organize a meeting to discuss the topic of patriarchal election, Istanbul’s Armenian “Zhamanak” (Time) newspaper reports.  

Istanbul Governor’s Office has interfered in the patriarchal election. In a notice sent to the patriarchate by deputy governor, it is stated that it is “legally” impossible to start the process of the elections of locum tenens.

The notice was handed out by Archbishop Ateşhian who lost the election.

The Clerical Assembly kicked off at 15:00, March 15 to elect the locum tenens, but the writ of the governor’s office was sent to the Patriarchy at 13:47.

Aram Ateshian promulgated the writ only after it became known that he has lost the election.