‘COLORFUL REVOLUTIONS’ SWALLOW PRIME MINISTERS
By Tatoul Hakobian

AZG Armenian Daily #164
14/09/2005

Analysis

Yulia Timoshenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, was one of
the “lucky” prime ministers who came to power through “a velvet
revolution.” Though she was sacked of her position, she wasn’t killed
or died in suspicious conditions. The velvet revolutions that took
place in various countries during the recent 15 years “swallowed” the
key figures of those revolutions, as a rule. It’s worth representing
several interesting facts without making any comments.

Vazgen Manukian, first Prime Minister of the third Republic of Armenia,
was one of the key figures of All Armenian Movement that struggled
against the Communist Party. After the communists lost power, Levon
Ter-Petrosian and Vazgen Manukian occupied the two key positions of
the newly born republic.

The first became chairman of RA Supreme Council, while the
second became the republics Prime Minister. Vazgen Manukian was
dismissed. The whole power in the republic appeared in the hands of
Levon Ter-Petrosian and his allies.

In 1991, Eduard Shevardnadze seized the power from Zviad Gamsakhurdia
with the help of his allies Jaba Ioseliani, criminal authority,
and Tengiz Kitovani, untalented artist. Soon, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was
killed in the Megrelia woods. Shevardnadze returned to Tbilisi, in
1992. Ioseliani, head of the Armed Forces and Kitovani, representative
of coalition, were dismissed and sent to prison.

In the summer of 1993, Heydar Aliyev, head of Nakhijevan’s Supreme
Council, rebelled against Abulfaz Elchibey and soon his forces entered
Baku. Suret Huseynov, one of Karabakh war participants, was among his
allies and played active part in the rebellion against Elchibey. Aliyev
forget the assistance of Huseynov already next year. Accusing Huseynov
of coup d’etat, Aliyev sent him to the prison.

In late 997 and in early 1998, Levon Ter-Petrosian had to resign
under the pressure of Vazgen Sargsian and the military branch of
the power. Robert Kocharian came to power. In 1999, as a result of
parliamentary elections, Sargsian and Karen Demirchian, his new ally,
won the victory. Sargsian became RA Prime Minister, while Demirchian
was appointed Chairman of Ra National Assembly. In few months, Sargsian
and Demirchian, as well as 6 other high ranked officials and deputies,
were killed in a terrorist act.

Serbian revolution took place in Belgrade, on October 5-6, 2000. Zoran
Djindjic, one of the key figures of the revolution, managed to
seize the power from Slobodan Miloshevic. Next year, Djindjic passed
Miloshevic to the Hague Criminal Court. Zoran Djindjic, Serbian Prime
Minister, was killed in Belgrade, in March, 2003.

Eduard Shevardnadze had to resign as a result of the so-called
“revolution of roses” in November, 2003. Zurab Zhvania, Mikheil
Saakashvili and Nino Burjanadze were the key figures of the
revolution. Saakashvili became the president, while Zhvania was
appointed the Prime Minister. In the February of 2005, Zhvania was
found dead in one of his Tbilisi apartments.