1000S CHALLENGE VICTORY OF ARMENIAN PM IN PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 2ND DAY OF PROTESTS

AP
2008-02-21 22:30:45

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Tens of thousands of opposition supporters
rallied for a second straight day in Armenia’s capital Thursday,
claiming the presidential vote was rigged and vowing to continue
their protest until new elections are held.

Activists set up about dozen tents on a central Yerevan square in an
effort to stage round-the-clock protests, but authorities warned they
could intervene to maintain order.

Election officials said Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian _ the favored
successor of outgoing President Robert Kocharian _ received almost 53
percent in Tuesday’s vote, enough to win the presidency outright. The
leading opposition candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosian, had 21.5 percent.

The opposition say the real winner was Ter-Petrosian, who was
Armenia’s president following the 1991 Soviet breakup, and his
supporters have claimed widespread violations and violence targeting
opposition activists.

An estimated 25,000 protesters waved flags, raised clenched fists and
shouted, «Levon! Levon!» as Ter-Petrosian claimed that two deputy
defense ministers had switched to his side and promised that the army
would not intervene in the demonstration. The Defense Ministry later
denied the claim.

«Both deputy ministers stand together with the people and they will
defend the candidate who has the people’s trust,» Ter-Petrosian
said. «The army will not intervene in politics.

Opposition activists later erected tents on the main square and
a steady supplies of warm clothing and blankets could be seen
arriving. The mood was festive despite freezing temperatures and
people set off fireworks and danced traditional Caucasian dances as
loud music blared through loudspeakers.

«Today we begin nonstop protests and rallies,» Ter-Petrosian aide
Nicol Pashinian said. «We’re going to stay here until we win.

The crowed thinned to several thousand by late Thursday who said
they were determined to stay through the night. Several dozen police
officers patrolled the area.

The opposition faces an uphill struggle in mustering support for
a new vote, after the election received endorsement from regional
power Russia. Western observers noted violations but said the vote
was generally positive.

The standoff has raised concerns of instability in the volatile,
strategic country at the junction of the energy-rich Caspian Sea
region and southern Europe, with Russia and Iran nearby.

Memories of economic hardships of the early 1990s are still fresh
for most Armenians, as is the devastating conflict with neighboring
Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mountainous
region in neighboring Azerbaijan has been under ethnic Armenian
control since a cease-fire ended six years of fighting in 1994.

The capital was the scene of weeks-long protests following Kocharian’s
re-election in 2003, which the opposition also called fraudulent,
but the protests never gained momentum.

Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday added an
element of uncertainty for Armenians, many of whom see clear analogies
between Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh.

–Boundary_(ID_p94HTltLFgyGOb6V m0I0sg)–