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ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TAKES OATH, OPPOSITION CRIES FOUL
WorldBulletin.net, Turkey
April 9 2013
Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan against the inauguration
of President Serzh Sarksyan for a second term, alleging that his
election had been fixed.
World Bulletin/News Desk
Serzh Sargsyan has sworn in for a second term as Armenia's president
in the capital Yerevan on Tuesday.
The formal oath-taking ceremony was held with the participation of
2,000 Armenian and foreign guests.
Sargsyan swore that he would not violate the constitution and that
he would be respectful to human rights, serve people and assure
territorial integrity and security of Armenia during his five-year
term in office.
Sargsyan won 861,373 votes and was elected president for the second
time in elections on February 18.
Sargsyan said in his inauguration speech that developing the economy,
ensuring the rule of law and deepening democracy were his top
priorities, along with the peaceful resolution of a long-standing
territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.
European monitors had said the Feb. 18 election was generally well
conducted, but bemoaned a lack of competition after leading candidates
pulled out fearing the outcome would be rigged. Sargsyan's tally of
58.6 percent was in line with opinion polls.
Tuesday's peaceful crowd of some 12,000 was the biggest of the
intermittent protests since the election.
Demonstrators led by Raffi Hovannisian, who came second to Sargsyan
according to the official count but alleges that he won the vote,
rallied in Yerevan's central Freedom Square as the inauguration was
held a few kilometres away.
"We say 'No' to false oaths, 'no' to false presidents," Hovannisian,
a U.S.-born former foreign minister, told supporters.
With security tight, demonstrators marched through the city after
the rally but were stopped by police when they tried to approach the
presidential residence and turned back toward Freedom Square.
There has been no repeat of the violence that erupted after
round-the-clock protests following Sargsyan's first election in 2008.
Eight activists and two police were killed.
WorldBulletin.net, Turkey
April 9 2013
Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan against the inauguration
of President Serzh Sarksyan for a second term, alleging that his
election had been fixed.
World Bulletin/News Desk
Serzh Sargsyan has sworn in for a second term as Armenia's president
in the capital Yerevan on Tuesday.
The formal oath-taking ceremony was held with the participation of
2,000 Armenian and foreign guests.
Sargsyan swore that he would not violate the constitution and that
he would be respectful to human rights, serve people and assure
territorial integrity and security of Armenia during his five-year
term in office.
Sargsyan won 861,373 votes and was elected president for the second
time in elections on February 18.
Sargsyan said in his inauguration speech that developing the economy,
ensuring the rule of law and deepening democracy were his top
priorities, along with the peaceful resolution of a long-standing
territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.
European monitors had said the Feb. 18 election was generally well
conducted, but bemoaned a lack of competition after leading candidates
pulled out fearing the outcome would be rigged. Sargsyan's tally of
58.6 percent was in line with opinion polls.
Tuesday's peaceful crowd of some 12,000 was the biggest of the
intermittent protests since the election.
Demonstrators led by Raffi Hovannisian, who came second to Sargsyan
according to the official count but alleges that he won the vote,
rallied in Yerevan's central Freedom Square as the inauguration was
held a few kilometres away.
"We say 'No' to false oaths, 'no' to false presidents," Hovannisian,
a U.S.-born former foreign minister, told supporters.
With security tight, demonstrators marched through the city after
the rally but were stopped by police when they tried to approach the
presidential residence and turned back toward Freedom Square.
There has been no repeat of the violence that erupted after
round-the-clock protests following Sargsyan's first election in 2008.
Eight activists and two police were killed.