Police say 8 dead in clashes with demonstrators after presidential election results
By AVET DEMOURIAN

2 March 08
Associated Press Writer

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Eight people died in clashes between police
and opposition supporters that led the president to declare a sweeping,
20-day state of emergency, officials said Sunday.

Police fired in the air and let off tear gas to break up Saturday’s
gathering of some 15,000 protestors upset over alleged fraud in the
Feb. 19 presidential election. On Sunday, troops and armored vehicles
patrolled the main streets of Armenia’s capital.

It was some of the worst political violence to hit post-Soviet Armenia,
and it led the opposition leader to also appeal for calm.

Sustained unrest in Armenia could undermine stability in the volatile
Caucasus region. Armenia borders Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan
— countries important for producing or shipping oil and gas to
Western customers.

Police spokesman Sayat Shirinian said Sunday that eight people were
killed and 33 officers wounded. He did not say if the dead were police
or protesters.

President Robert Kocharian declared the state of emergency Saturday
night. After the announcement, a few thousand people remained in the
streets, some holding peaceful vigils. By morning, some streets were
littered with the hulks of burned cars and troops carrying assault
rifles and wearing bullet-proof vests stood on street corners.

The demonstrators supported opposition presidential candidate Levon
Ter-Petrosian, who was being prevented from leaving his residence. From
his home, he recorded an appeal overnight to the protesters to go home.

Aides drove through the center of Yerevan playing the recording from
loudspeakers atop cars, and most demonstrators appeared to be gone
by Sunday morning.

"Our forces are unequal, we are surrounded by troops and our president
suggests we disperse," Ter-Petrosian said in the recording.

Ter-Petrosian finished a distant second to Prime Minister Serge
Sarkisian in the official results from the election. Sarkisian is
a close colleague of Kocharian, who is stepping down because the
constitution does not permit him to seek a third term.

Opponents allege the government manipulated the vote count. They also
allege the election was fundamentally unfair, saying the government
exerted pressure on people to vote for Sarkisian and pressured news
media into skewing coverage to favor him.