Author: Chilingarian Babken

ARMENIA CAPITAL CLASHES KILL EIGHT

Radio Netherlands
March 2 2008
Netherlands

Yerevan – Clashes in the Armenian capital Yerevan have left eight
people dead. It is not clear whether the victims were protesters or
policemen. Dozens were injured.

Riot police used force to disperse 1,500 protesters who had been
camping on Yerevan’s Freedom Square for ten days. Most of them left
after an appeal from opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian, who has
been placed under house arrest.

On Saturday, the authorities declared a state of emergency to bring
an end to the protests against the result of January’s presidential
election. The opposition claims the poll was rigged in favour of
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who won an absolute majority. Mr
Ter-Petrosian came in second place.

EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED OVERNIGHT IN ARMENIAN UNREST

Monsters and Critics.com
March 2 2008

Yerevan – Eight people were killed in Armenia in overnight clashes
between police and opposition protestors that led the president to
declare a 20-day state of emergency, officials said Sunday.

Witnesses said that Armenian security forces used truncheons, fired
into the air and released tear gas to disperse the twelfth day
of thousands-strong opposition demonstrations against the alleged
government rigging of February 19 presidential elections.

Some of the 15,000 protestors Saturday threw Molotov cocktails at
the police and clashes grew increasingly violent after midnight,
when eight people were killed, including a policeman.

Local media reported dozens of injured opposition supporters of failed
presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, while the police said 33
of its members were hurt.

By morning witnesses described streets clogged with debris and the
remains of 30 cars burned overnight.

Armoured vehicles and troops with assault rifles were patrolling the
capital Yerevan after outgoing President Robert Kocharian declared
a state of emergency. The declaration was upheld by parliament which
is led by the vote winner, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

The small Caucasus state of 3.2 million has emerged as a strategically
important region, lying along gas routes from the energy-rich Caspian
Sea region to Europe and being a close partner of Iran.

Western powers fear instability in the region could disrupt gas routes
and further undermine a fragile security situation with Armenia’s
neighbours Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Demonstrations have been led by Armenia’s first president Ter-Petrosian
whose political comeback after 10 years of retirement has divided
the country along old faultlines.

Ter-Petrosian, 63, was forced from power in a ‘velvet’ coup by the
incumbent president and prime minister after a series of armed attacks
on top government officials.

Sunday’s violence was the worst in Armenia’s post-Soviet history,
causing Ter-Petrosian to call for a 20-day halt to demonstrations in
a radio address blared through loudspeakers on cars driven through
the city centre.

Ter-Petrosian has pledged to renew protest at the end of the 20-day
state of emergency, raising fears of continued unrest.

He has called the government’s behaviour ‘shameful’ and refuses to
accept official results which showed him with 21.43 per cent of the
vote, far behind Prime Minister Sarkisian who won just over the 50-
per-cent hurdle needed to avoid a run-off with the second-place
finisher.

The opposition has lodged an appeal with the Constitutional Court
to invalidate the results, complaining of mass voting violations,
including the beating and kidnapping of its supporters at the polls.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s
vote-monitoring arm declared the elections mostly in adherence with
international standards.

At a press conference with foreign reporters at his home Ter-Petrosian
said, ‘I don’t understand how the international community could
tolerate what happened last night.’

Security forces were guarding him from leaving his home, but he had
not formally been placed under house arrest Sunday.

Under the emergency rule, mass gatherings are banned and media outlets
may report only official information. Check points have been set up
around the capital.

Kocharian alleged that some protestors had shot at police.

‘What’s going on now is not a political process. It has gone over
the edge,’ he said in an night-time news conference.

About 89 people have sought medical aid following the night-time
protests, including 57 policemen, news agency Interfax reported
Sunday. Local media reported that at least 55 people had been arrested.

Ter-Petrosian’s spokesman Arman Musinyan said that weapons and grenades
had been planted on demonstrators as a pretext for their arrest.

CrisisWatch N°55, 1 March 2008

International Crisis Group, Belgium
March 1 2008

Twelve actual or potential conflict situations around the world
deteriorated in February 2008, and four improved, according to the
new issue of CrisisWatch, released today.

The situation deteriorated in Armenia, where – as CrisisWatch went to
press – a violent crackdown sought to suppress eleven days of
protests after presidential elections that the opposition claimed
were rigged. A state of emergency has been declared, and armed forces
are reportedly mobilising for broader repression.

Attacks on Timor-Leste’s president and prime minister underlined the
need for security sector reform in the fragile country. Yet their
aftermath – including the killing of former head of military police
Alfredo Reinado, who led the attack on the president – presents an
opportunity for the government to address key issues.

Rebels in Chad launched a major assault on the capital N’Djamena in
which hundreds were killed and thousands displaced. A state of
emergency is still in place amid reports of a heavy government
crackdown. In Darfur, the Sudanese government attacked three towns
and an IDP camp from both ground and air, marking the worst violence
in the region in months.

The situation also deteriorated in Cameroon, Comoros Islands, DR
Congo, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Israel/Occupied Territories, Philippines,
Serbia and Somalia.

The situation improved in Kosovo, as its 17 February declaration of
independence was met with widespread celebrations and limited unrest
in Serb enclaves. In Kenya, a power-sharing deal ended a month of
difficult negotiations between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition
leader Raila Odinga, as the country began to move forward from its
post-election political crisis, though the situation is still very
fragile. In Pakistan, opposition parties that could dismantle
military rule swept to power in relatively peaceful mid-month
elections. And in Cyprus, President-elect Christofias vowed to meet
at the "earliest possible date" for reunification talks with his
Turkish-Cypriot counterpart.

For March 2008, CrisisWatch identifies Armenia, Comoros Islands and
Kenya as Conflict Risk Alerts. It identifies Cyprus, Pakistan,
Timor-Leste and Uganda as Conflict Resolution Opportunities.

FEBRUARY 2008 TRENDS

Deteriorated Situations
Armenia, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros Islands, DR Congo, Ethiopia/Eritrea,
Israel/Occupied Territories, Philippines, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan,
Timor-Leste

Improved Situations
Cyprus, Kenya, Kosovo, Pakistan

Unchanged Situations
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Basque Country (Spain), Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Burundi, Central African Republic, Chechnya (Russia), Colombia, Côte
d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon,
Liberia, Macedonia, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Myanmar/Burma,
Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan), Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Caucasus
(non-Chechnya), North Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan Strait, Tajikistan,
Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

MARCH 2008 OUTLOOK

Conflict Risk Alerts
Armenia, Comoros Islands, Kenya

Conflict Resolution Opportunity
Cyprus, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, Uganda

*NOTE: CrisisWatch indicators – up and down arrows, conflict risk
alerts, and conflict resolution opportunities – are intended to
reflect changes within countries or situations from month to month,
not comparisons between countries. For example, no "conflict risk
alert" is given for a country where violence has been occurring and
is expected to continue in the coming month: such an indicator is
given only where new or significantly escalated violence is feared.

–Boundary_(ID_MQSh0FvJ4Uzqn7MGn7wFXg)–

Armenia opposition leader urges end to protest

01 Mar 2008 23:15:44 GMT
Source: Reuters

YEREVAN, March 2 (Reuters) – The majority of demonstrators in a
standoff with police in Armenia’s capital ended their protest on
Sunday but a few dozen refused to go home and set fire to abandoned
police vehicles, a Reuters reporter said.

Most of the crowd, which numbered about 2,000, headed away from a
square in the Armenian capital where they had been demonstrating after
a message was read out from opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan
urging them to go home. (Reporting by Margarita Antidze; writing by
Christian Lowe)

GEORGIA INDEBTED TO ARMENIA 17.5 MILLION DOLLARS

Panorama.am
13:54 29/02/2008

This year Georgian Government is indebted to Armenia 17.5 million
dollars, which is more than the last year. The information is provided
by the Georgian media, which attributes to the Ministry of Finance.

According to the source, on 31 January, Georgia’s foreign state debt
and the loans amount were 1 810 986 thousands dollars. Georgia took
loans from 15 countries in the world, the amount of which is 527
million 863 thousands dollars. The loan giving countries are Austria,
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Iran, Russia, Armenia, Uzbekistan,
Germany, Netherlands, the USA and etc.

SERGE SARGSYAN AND ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON POLITICAL COOPERATION

armradio.am
29.02.2008 15:44

RA President elect Serge Sargsyan and presidential candidate, leader
of the Orinats Yerkir Party Arthur Baghdasaryan signed an agreement
on political cooperation today.

"The presidential election held on February 19, 2008 was of landmark
importance to our country.

– Attaching importance to the imperatives of development and
modernization of the political system, overcoming the domestic and
foreign challenges the country faces, fighting corruption and shadow
economy, reinforcement and development of the country’s security
system;

– Emphasizing the importance of more intensive integration with the
international community, the free and competitive development of the
economy, sound relations in the society and the political processes
leading to development;

– Stressing the importance of formation of political institutions
acting on the basis of democratic principles, consolidation of the
culture of sound competition and partnership relations, taking as a
basis the results of the presidential elections of February 19, 2008,
taking into consideration that the vote of trust to President elect
Serge Sargsyan and presidential candidate Arthur Baghdasaryan exceeded
1,110,000, which makes about 70% of the citizens that participated
in the elections;

– Welcoming and agreeing with the proposal of RA President elect,
President of the Republican Party of Armenia Serge Sargsyan to the
leader of the Orinats Yerkir Party Arthur Baghdasaryan to work together
in the system of strategic management of the state and assume the
responsibilities of the Secretary of RA Council on National Security;

RA President elect Serge Sargsyan and presidential candidate Arthur
Baghdasaryan sign an agreement on political cooperation in the format
of a coalition government together with other collaborating forces
for the sake of development and security of the country and people.

CASE ON BEATING SERGE SARGSIAN’S EMPOWERED PERSON SENT TO NORTHERN CRIMINAL COURT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The preliminary examination of
the criminal case instituted on the fact of beating RA presidential
candidate Serge Sargsian’s empowered person has been finished in the
RA Special Investigation Service. On February 26, the case was sent
to the Northern Criminal Court. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by
the website of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office.

According to the case, during the February 19 RA presidential
elections, Suren Avetisian was registered as the empowered person of RA
presidential candidate Serge Sargsian by the order established by the
law at polling station N 36/34 in the town of Maralik. Learning that
S. Avetisian is RA presidential candidate Serge Sargsian’s empowered
person, the defendant on the case, Haroutiun Urutian hindered his
entrance to the polling station, quarrelled, deliberately with his
fists and head delivered blows to him inflicting him bodily injuries
and hindered the implementation of the empowered person’s duties.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION READIES FOR RALLY AFTER QUIET NIGHT

Agence France Presse
Feb 28 2008

YEREVAN (AFP) – Some 2,000 opposition activists stayed throughout the
night in the Armenian capital Yerevan in a round-the-clock tent camp,
preparing for more mass rallies Thursday.

Protesters took turns warming themselves at bonfires and sleeping
in some 50 tents set on Yerevan’s central Freedom Square during the
night which passed without incident.

Protesters are calling for Armenian authorities to annul the result
of the February 19 election, which handed victory to Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian over his opposition challenger Levon Ter-Petrosian.

Ter-Petrosian, a former president of this mountainous former Soviet
republic, ran on an anti-corruption platform and alleges massive
vote fraud.

The Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) have called for restraint. OSCE observers said
earlier that the election "mostly" met international standards.

GORAN LENMARKER: THE IMPRESSION IS THAT SEIOUS DEBATE ON QUALITY OF ELECTIONS IS GOING ON IN ARMENIA AFTER ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 27, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The President of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the OSCE Goran Lenmarker has expressed concern about the
post-election situation in Armenia.

The impression is that a serious debate on the quality of the elections
is going on after the February 19 parliamentary elections in Armenia,
he said during an intreview with Radio Liberty.

"The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
and the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE were certainly unanimous
in their preliminary report published the next day after the
elections. There will be also a final report which will reflect the
situation in the post-election period and it undoutedly will create
some confusion," G. Lenmarker said.

In response to the question about whether the arrests of several
opposition figures had been discussed at the previous day’s meetings
with the Armenian authorities, G. Lenmarker replied: "According to
the explanation given by the government, arms were the cause of these
arrets. I cannot say what is true and what not, I was told that,
and it is difficult for a foreigner to assess".

"I hope we will witness a peaceful outcome and there will be no
violence," G. Lenmarker said, also addressing the meetings with
several opposition candidates for the presidency, which took place late
Tuesday. "Some opposition parties intend to apply to the Constitutional
Court for a final decision and they say that they will submit to the
decision of the Constitutional Court".

According to G. Lenmarker, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE will
not make any special report on the presidential elections in Armenia:
in giving its opinions, it will take as the basis the OSCE/ODIHR
final report which will be ready by mid April.

PM SERGE SARGSYAN RECEIVES CONGRATULATION FROM CIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

armradio.am
26.02.2008 12:57

President of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary
Sergey Lebedev congratulated RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan on his
victory in the presidential elections of February 19.

"I’m sure that your professional and working experience and deep
knowledge will be directed towards the socio-economic development of
the country, rising the level of the population’s living conditions
and reinforcement of Armenia’s position on the international arena
and in the Commonwealth of Independent States."

Sergey Lebedev wished success, happiness and fulfillment of all
ideas and intentions to Serge Sargsyan for the benefit of the people
of Armenia.