Reuters, UK
4 May 2004
Armenians rally to demand president resign
YEREVAN, May 4 (Reuters) – About 6,000 Armenians braved heavy rain on
Tuesday to demand the resignation of President Robert Kocharyan in
the latest in a series of mass protests in the capital.
The Armenian opposition, which accuses Kocharyan of rigging last
year’s presidential election, has hoped to emulate the example of
neighbouring Georgia, where protesters overthrew the president last
November in a bloodless revolution.
“We must decide in what country we want to live: in an isolated one,
ruled by force; or in a developed democratic country,” Stepan
Demirchyan, leader of the Justice Party and runner-up in the
elections told the rally in Yerevan.
“The size of this meeting in such weather shows that we support
democracy,” he said, while supporters waved flags and chanted
“Kocharyan resign”.
Kocharyan has dismissed any suggestion that Armenia might follow
Georgia in overthrowing its leader. The authorities used water
cannons to disperse a similar meeting last month.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
