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U.S. URGES CALM IN ARMENIA
A Wall Street Journal News Roundup
March 2, 2008 2:45 p.m.
YEREVAN, Armenia -- The U.S. urged Armenia's warring political forces
to start talking after a night of rioting Saturday in which eight
people were killed and dozens more injured.
President Robert Kocharyan imposed a 20-day state of emergency in
the capital and ordered troops onto the streets after opposition
demonstrators protesting at what they say was a rigged election hurled
gasoline bombs, looted stores and set vehicles ablaze.
Troops lined the streets and a few armored personnel carriers could
be seen on Sunday, though there was no sign of fresh clashes.
Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who says he was cheated out
of victory in the Feb. 19 vote, remained under house arrest.
The bloodshed raised concerns about stability in this country,
which borders Iran and lies on a transit route from the energy-rich
Caspian Sea region to Western consumers. Europe's leading security
organization, the OSCE, was sending an envoy to Armenia to mediate
the crisis.
The violence was the worst in the impoverished mountainous country of
3.2 million since 1998, when a mass uprising forced Mr. Ter-Petrosyan
to resign.
In Washington, the State Department called on all sides "to avoid
further violence, act fully within the law, exercise maximum restraint
and resume political dialogue", according to a statement posted on
its Web site www.state.gov.
Saturday, police fired in the air and let off tear gas to break up
a gathering of some 15,000 opposition demonstrators, as protracted
tensions descended into what appeared to be the worst political
violence to hit post-Soviet Armenia.
Health Minister Arutiun Kushkian said eight people were killed in the
clashes and 131 injured, including 57 police and army troops. Later
reports put the death toll at seven. The authorities claimed the
protesters were armed and shot at police. The opposition vehemently
denies the claim.
Hundreds of helmeted servicemen, wearing bullet-proof vests and
wielding Kalashnikov assault rifles patrolled the center of a tense
Yerevan Sunday.
Police closed several major streets where the violence occurred. Troops
were warning residents by loudspeaker not to gather in groups. Some
streets were littered with hulks of burned cars, many shop windows
had been broken and kiosks looted.
Mr. Ter-Petrosian finished a distant second to Prime Minister Serge
Sarkisian in the official results from the election. Mr. Ter-Petrosian
appealed to the Constitutional Court on Friday to overturn the results.
Thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of protesters have rallied
daily since the election. Mr. Sarkisian is a close colleague of
Mr. Kocharian, who is stepping down because the constitution does
not permit him to seek a third term.
Western observers issued an overall positive assessment of the
election, but noted serious flaws, especially during vote count. The
opposition says Mr.
Sarkisian stole the election by resorting to vote-buying, ballot
stuffing and pressuring media to skew coverage in his favor.
A Wall Street Journal News Roundup
March 2, 2008 2:45 p.m.
YEREVAN, Armenia -- The U.S. urged Armenia's warring political forces
to start talking after a night of rioting Saturday in which eight
people were killed and dozens more injured.
President Robert Kocharyan imposed a 20-day state of emergency in
the capital and ordered troops onto the streets after opposition
demonstrators protesting at what they say was a rigged election hurled
gasoline bombs, looted stores and set vehicles ablaze.
Troops lined the streets and a few armored personnel carriers could
be seen on Sunday, though there was no sign of fresh clashes.
Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who says he was cheated out
of victory in the Feb. 19 vote, remained under house arrest.
The bloodshed raised concerns about stability in this country,
which borders Iran and lies on a transit route from the energy-rich
Caspian Sea region to Western consumers. Europe's leading security
organization, the OSCE, was sending an envoy to Armenia to mediate
the crisis.
The violence was the worst in the impoverished mountainous country of
3.2 million since 1998, when a mass uprising forced Mr. Ter-Petrosyan
to resign.
In Washington, the State Department called on all sides "to avoid
further violence, act fully within the law, exercise maximum restraint
and resume political dialogue", according to a statement posted on
its Web site www.state.gov.
Saturday, police fired in the air and let off tear gas to break up
a gathering of some 15,000 opposition demonstrators, as protracted
tensions descended into what appeared to be the worst political
violence to hit post-Soviet Armenia.
Health Minister Arutiun Kushkian said eight people were killed in the
clashes and 131 injured, including 57 police and army troops. Later
reports put the death toll at seven. The authorities claimed the
protesters were armed and shot at police. The opposition vehemently
denies the claim.
Hundreds of helmeted servicemen, wearing bullet-proof vests and
wielding Kalashnikov assault rifles patrolled the center of a tense
Yerevan Sunday.
Police closed several major streets where the violence occurred. Troops
were warning residents by loudspeaker not to gather in groups. Some
streets were littered with hulks of burned cars, many shop windows
had been broken and kiosks looted.
Mr. Ter-Petrosian finished a distant second to Prime Minister Serge
Sarkisian in the official results from the election. Mr. Ter-Petrosian
appealed to the Constitutional Court on Friday to overturn the results.
Thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of protesters have rallied
daily since the election. Mr. Sarkisian is a close colleague of
Mr. Kocharian, who is stepping down because the constitution does
not permit him to seek a third term.
Western observers issued an overall positive assessment of the
election, but noted serious flaws, especially during vote count. The
opposition says Mr.
Sarkisian stole the election by resorting to vote-buying, ballot
stuffing and pressuring media to skew coverage in his favor.