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ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PROTESTS CONTINUE DESPITE CONCESSIONS FROM GOVERNMENT
Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
June 1, 2011
A number of Armenian opposition parties united under the Armenian
National Congress (HAK) held a previously announced protest in the
Armenian capital Yerevan on 31 May. Nearly 6000 demonstrators took
to the streets demanding extra-term parliamentary and presidential
elections. HAK leader and former Armenian president Levon
Ter-Petrossian said at the demonstration that they will continue
demanding early elections to change the government of current
Oresident Serzh Sargsyan but he added that the change will be only
through peaceful means. He likened the events in Armenia to the Arab
Spring revolutions although he emphasised that the Armenian one will
be a step-by-step process of change.
Significance:The demonstration comes only three days after the
Armenian parliament, on the initiative of President Sargsyan,
pardoned around 2,000 prisoners as part of the 28 May Independence
Day celebrations. As a result of the amnesty all 10 Armenian political
prisoners have been released, a gesture that the government hopes will
improve Armenia's standing with European human rights institutions
and also mitigate tensions with the opposition. While this is
an important concession, it is unlikely that the current ruling
coalition will agree to early elections. The opposition remains
deeply divided as there is lack of dialogue between HAK and one
of the most influential traditional Armenian parties, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Party (HYD). Furthermore there is apathy
among the wider electorate that would prefer a new political force
rather than return to Ter-Petrossian's rule if there is a change
of government. Furthermore, since the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, Armenia has been locked in a deadly war with neighbouring
Azerbaijan over the Armenian-populated self-declared republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh. HAK has also acknowledged that Armenia cannot afford
internal destabilisation as this may trigger neighbouring Azerbaijan
to launch a new war, as publicly declared on a number of occasions
by Azerbaijani leaders in recent months. The Armenian opposition is
likely to continue with its protests but to see any tangible results,
it has to first unite all anti -government forces.
From: Baghdasarian
Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
June 1, 2011
A number of Armenian opposition parties united under the Armenian
National Congress (HAK) held a previously announced protest in the
Armenian capital Yerevan on 31 May. Nearly 6000 demonstrators took
to the streets demanding extra-term parliamentary and presidential
elections. HAK leader and former Armenian president Levon
Ter-Petrossian said at the demonstration that they will continue
demanding early elections to change the government of current
Oresident Serzh Sargsyan but he added that the change will be only
through peaceful means. He likened the events in Armenia to the Arab
Spring revolutions although he emphasised that the Armenian one will
be a step-by-step process of change.
Significance:The demonstration comes only three days after the
Armenian parliament, on the initiative of President Sargsyan,
pardoned around 2,000 prisoners as part of the 28 May Independence
Day celebrations. As a result of the amnesty all 10 Armenian political
prisoners have been released, a gesture that the government hopes will
improve Armenia's standing with European human rights institutions
and also mitigate tensions with the opposition. While this is
an important concession, it is unlikely that the current ruling
coalition will agree to early elections. The opposition remains
deeply divided as there is lack of dialogue between HAK and one
of the most influential traditional Armenian parties, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Party (HYD). Furthermore there is apathy
among the wider electorate that would prefer a new political force
rather than return to Ter-Petrossian's rule if there is a change
of government. Furthermore, since the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, Armenia has been locked in a deadly war with neighbouring
Azerbaijan over the Armenian-populated self-declared republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh. HAK has also acknowledged that Armenia cannot afford
internal destabilisation as this may trigger neighbouring Azerbaijan
to launch a new war, as publicly declared on a number of occasions
by Azerbaijani leaders in recent months. The Armenian opposition is
likely to continue with its protests but to see any tangible results,
it has to first unite all anti -government forces.
From: Baghdasarian