Gagrule.net Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday lambasted senior Nagorno-Karabakh officials who he said are “meddling” in Armenia’s ongoing parliamentary race with their public statements.

One of his close associates, Sasun Mikaelyan, said on Monday that the success of this spring’s protest movement that brought Pashinyan to power was more important than the Armenian victory in the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan.

The remark was condemned by leaders of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia as well as some Karabakh Armenian government and military officials.

Pashinyan was quick to respond to the outcry. He accused the Republican Party of Armenia of deliberately misinterpreting Mikaelyan’s statement which he portrayed as a slip of the tongue.

The premier also hit out at the Karabakh leadership on Thursday during a campaign trip to the Gegharkunik province.

“Frankly, I don’t quite understand recent days’ activity of representatives of the Artsakk Republic,” he said at a rally held there. “Why have they become active? Why are they making various comments? And why are they trying to meddle in and show their presence in Armenia’s parliamentary election campaign?”

“I am calling on [Artsakh President] Bako Sahakian to rein in representatives of his government and make sure they do their job,” Pashinyan went on.“The press secretary of the Karabakh president comments on my statements every other day. What is this?”