Tweet
ARMENIA: POST-ELECTION FIGHT OVER PRESIDENCY CONTINUES
EurasiaNet.org, NY
Feb 22 2013
February 22, 2013 - 11:33am, by Giorgi Lomsadze
Supporters of Armenian presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian are
gathering this evening in central Yerevan for what Hovannisian called a
"celebration of victory", but more questions than answers exist about
the claim.
The official returns for the February 18 vote placed the American-born
Heritage Party leader far behind incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan,
but Hovannisian claims this is a result of his votes being stolen.
Sargsyan failed to convince his challenger otherwise during a
tete-a-tete yesterday in the presidential residence, and Hovannisian
emerged from the talks insisting that he would press on.
"My dear compatriots . . . we are defending our Constitution, our
rights," he declared to protesters in Liberty Square. "This is not
about the fight between Raffi and Serzh, but about the future of the
Republic of Armenia and its citizens."
Mindful of the ten deaths that followed the last time there was a
presidential election fight, both sides appear to be approaching the
conflict with some degree of caution.
The presidential administration released a little video teaser of the
closed meeting between the two men. "You look kind of sad," Sargsyan
told Hovannisian with a disarming smile -- an observation which his
rival denied, also with a smile.
But amidst all the platitudes, the outcome of this face-off is no less
critical. The options for Hovhannisian's supporters essentially boil
down to preparing for the next elections, preparing for a revolution
or preparing to come to terms with Sargsyan, ArmeniaNow reported.
Hovannisian promised to disclose the details of his talks and propose
a future course of action at the rally today.
While there is little concrete evidence of Hovannisian's claims
to a complete, national victory, Armenians have many reasons to be
skeptical of the outcome of the election. Many are posting online
alleged videotaped evidence of ballot-stuffing. Some angrily protested
in front of the Yerevan office of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.
The ultimate question could be if Hovannisian's rally will widen --
senior members of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation
have joined the Liberty Square protest -- or, like so many protest
movements before his, slowly wither away.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66592
EurasiaNet.org, NY
Feb 22 2013
February 22, 2013 - 11:33am, by Giorgi Lomsadze
Supporters of Armenian presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian are
gathering this evening in central Yerevan for what Hovannisian called a
"celebration of victory", but more questions than answers exist about
the claim.
The official returns for the February 18 vote placed the American-born
Heritage Party leader far behind incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan,
but Hovannisian claims this is a result of his votes being stolen.
Sargsyan failed to convince his challenger otherwise during a
tete-a-tete yesterday in the presidential residence, and Hovannisian
emerged from the talks insisting that he would press on.
"My dear compatriots . . . we are defending our Constitution, our
rights," he declared to protesters in Liberty Square. "This is not
about the fight between Raffi and Serzh, but about the future of the
Republic of Armenia and its citizens."
Mindful of the ten deaths that followed the last time there was a
presidential election fight, both sides appear to be approaching the
conflict with some degree of caution.
The presidential administration released a little video teaser of the
closed meeting between the two men. "You look kind of sad," Sargsyan
told Hovannisian with a disarming smile -- an observation which his
rival denied, also with a smile.
But amidst all the platitudes, the outcome of this face-off is no less
critical. The options for Hovhannisian's supporters essentially boil
down to preparing for the next elections, preparing for a revolution
or preparing to come to terms with Sargsyan, ArmeniaNow reported.
Hovannisian promised to disclose the details of his talks and propose
a future course of action at the rally today.
While there is little concrete evidence of Hovannisian's claims
to a complete, national victory, Armenians have many reasons to be
skeptical of the outcome of the election. Many are posting online
alleged videotaped evidence of ballot-stuffing. Some angrily protested
in front of the Yerevan office of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.
The ultimate question could be if Hovannisian's rally will widen --
senior members of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation
have joined the Liberty Square protest -- or, like so many protest
movements before his, slowly wither away.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66592