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ARMENIA VOWS TO PURSUE ORGANISERS OF DEADLY CLASHES
by Antoine Lambroschini
Agence France Presse -- English
March 3, 2008 Monday 1:14 PM GMT
Armenian authorities vowed Monday to pursue those responsible
for violent clashes that left eight dead, after arresting two
pro-opposition lawmakers accused of attempting to seize power in
a coup.
Seven civilians and one police officer were killed in Saturday's street
battles between riot police and opposition supporters protesting the
result of a presidential election. Dozens were injured, many from
gunshot wounds.
Outgoing President Robert Kocharian imposed a 20-day state of
emergency in the capital following the unrest, banning rallies and
curbing media freedoms.
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, whom official results showed winning
the February 19 election with 53 percent of the vote, vowed to bring
those responsible for the clashes to justice.
"The organisers of these disturbances must answer before the law,
history and future generations," Sarkisian said in a government
statement.
Police said two pro-opposition lawmakers had been arrested for
allegedly attempting a coup d'etat following the clashes.
Deputy Miasnik Malkhasian was arrested for "attempting to seize
power," the press service of the Armenian police told AFP. A source
in the security services said deputy Hakob Hokopian was arrested on
the same charge.
The two were arrested overnight Sunday, police said.
The opposition immediately denounced the arrests.
"This is a new step in the violence the authorities are using against
the opposition to deprive it of its leadership," said Arman Musinian,
a spokesman for opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian.
The two deputies had defected to Ter-Petrosian's camp after being
elected as members of the ruling Republican Party.
The opposition claims the election was rigged to ensure victory for
Sarkisian, Kocharian's hand-picked successor.
Europe's main election monitoring body, the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said the election had "mostly"
met international standards.
The violence began early on Saturday when riot police cleared a
central square where protesters had been camped since the election.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 demonstrators quickly regrouped in another
square.
When police tried to disperse them after nightfall the protesters
fought back with petrol bombs, sticks and stones. Police used tear
gas and fired live ammunition into the air.
Protesters finally left the streets after an appeal by their leaders,
but not before rioters overturned and burned dozens of vehicles and
smashed shop windows along central streets.
Police continued to prevent Ter-Petrosian, the runner-up and a former
president, from leaving his home on Monday.
Ter-Petrosian, who took 21.5 percent of the vote according to
the official count, has been confined there since Saturday by his
state-assigned security detail, which authorities say is acting out
of concern for his safety.
The capital was relatively calm on Monday but dozens of soldiers and
armoured personnel carriers continued to guard government buildings.
Army chief of staff Seiran Oganian warned in televised comments Sunday
that fresh protests would be met with "a severe response."
The state of emergency bans demonstrations and requires the media to
put out only information from government sources.
The United States, United Nations and European Union have called for
calm and talks between the government and opposition.
The OSCE sent a special envoy to Armenia Sunday "to try to bring both
sides to the negotiating table and to find a way out of this crisis
through political dialogue," the group said in a statement.
by Antoine Lambroschini
Agence France Presse -- English
March 3, 2008 Monday 1:14 PM GMT
Armenian authorities vowed Monday to pursue those responsible
for violent clashes that left eight dead, after arresting two
pro-opposition lawmakers accused of attempting to seize power in
a coup.
Seven civilians and one police officer were killed in Saturday's street
battles between riot police and opposition supporters protesting the
result of a presidential election. Dozens were injured, many from
gunshot wounds.
Outgoing President Robert Kocharian imposed a 20-day state of
emergency in the capital following the unrest, banning rallies and
curbing media freedoms.
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, whom official results showed winning
the February 19 election with 53 percent of the vote, vowed to bring
those responsible for the clashes to justice.
"The organisers of these disturbances must answer before the law,
history and future generations," Sarkisian said in a government
statement.
Police said two pro-opposition lawmakers had been arrested for
allegedly attempting a coup d'etat following the clashes.
Deputy Miasnik Malkhasian was arrested for "attempting to seize
power," the press service of the Armenian police told AFP. A source
in the security services said deputy Hakob Hokopian was arrested on
the same charge.
The two were arrested overnight Sunday, police said.
The opposition immediately denounced the arrests.
"This is a new step in the violence the authorities are using against
the opposition to deprive it of its leadership," said Arman Musinian,
a spokesman for opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian.
The two deputies had defected to Ter-Petrosian's camp after being
elected as members of the ruling Republican Party.
The opposition claims the election was rigged to ensure victory for
Sarkisian, Kocharian's hand-picked successor.
Europe's main election monitoring body, the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said the election had "mostly"
met international standards.
The violence began early on Saturday when riot police cleared a
central square where protesters had been camped since the election.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 demonstrators quickly regrouped in another
square.
When police tried to disperse them after nightfall the protesters
fought back with petrol bombs, sticks and stones. Police used tear
gas and fired live ammunition into the air.
Protesters finally left the streets after an appeal by their leaders,
but not before rioters overturned and burned dozens of vehicles and
smashed shop windows along central streets.
Police continued to prevent Ter-Petrosian, the runner-up and a former
president, from leaving his home on Monday.
Ter-Petrosian, who took 21.5 percent of the vote according to
the official count, has been confined there since Saturday by his
state-assigned security detail, which authorities say is acting out
of concern for his safety.
The capital was relatively calm on Monday but dozens of soldiers and
armoured personnel carriers continued to guard government buildings.
Army chief of staff Seiran Oganian warned in televised comments Sunday
that fresh protests would be met with "a severe response."
The state of emergency bans demonstrations and requires the media to
put out only information from government sources.
The United States, United Nations and European Union have called for
calm and talks between the government and opposition.
The OSCE sent a special envoy to Armenia Sunday "to try to bring both
sides to the negotiating table and to find a way out of this crisis
through political dialogue," the group said in a statement.