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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SARKISIAN SWORN IN AS ELECTION RUNNER-UP CONTINUES TO PROTEST RESULT
Washington Post
April 9 2013
By Associated Press, Apr 09, 2013 07:21 PM EDT
YEREVAN, Armenia - Several thousand protesters demonstrated near the
Armenian presidential palace on Tuesday after Serge Sarkisian was
sworn in for a second term.
Sarkisian easily won February's election with nearly 59 percent of
the vote. But American-born runner-up Raffi Hovanessian, who won 37
percent of the vote, has called the election rigged, went on a hunger
strike, and led protests calling for Sarkisian to step down.
About 3,000 demonstrators gathered in the evening on the avenue
leading to the presidential residence, but were blocked by a police
cordon. Sporadic small clashes occurred and police told demonstrators
to disperse.
After some arguments, demonstrators left the area and the street was
reopened about 11 p.m.
There were no reports of serious injury, but a top official of
Hovanessian's party, Armen Martirosian, was seen being taken away
with a bleeding nose. It was not clear how the injury occurred.
Observers from the parliamentary assembly of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe said that although democratic
freedoms were generally respected in the election, it lacked genuine
competition due to abuses such as pressure on public employees to
take part in campaign events.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/armenian-president-sarkisian-sworn-in-as-election-runner-up-continues-to-protest-result/2013/04/09/a78f134e-a146-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html
Washington Post
April 9 2013
By Associated Press, Apr 09, 2013 07:21 PM EDT
YEREVAN, Armenia - Several thousand protesters demonstrated near the
Armenian presidential palace on Tuesday after Serge Sarkisian was
sworn in for a second term.
Sarkisian easily won February's election with nearly 59 percent of
the vote. But American-born runner-up Raffi Hovanessian, who won 37
percent of the vote, has called the election rigged, went on a hunger
strike, and led protests calling for Sarkisian to step down.
About 3,000 demonstrators gathered in the evening on the avenue
leading to the presidential residence, but were blocked by a police
cordon. Sporadic small clashes occurred and police told demonstrators
to disperse.
After some arguments, demonstrators left the area and the street was
reopened about 11 p.m.
There were no reports of serious injury, but a top official of
Hovanessian's party, Armen Martirosian, was seen being taken away
with a bleeding nose. It was not clear how the injury occurred.
Observers from the parliamentary assembly of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe said that although democratic
freedoms were generally respected in the election, it lacked genuine
competition due to abuses such as pressure on public employees to
take part in campaign events.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/armenian-president-sarkisian-sworn-in-as-election-runner-up-continues-to-protest-result/2013/04/09/a78f134e-a146-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html