ARMENIAN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS MARCH THROUGH CAPITAL
Hasmik Lazarian

Reuters
Fri Jul 4, 2008 2:15pm EDT

Thousands of opposition supporters marched through the Armenian capital
on Friday and vowed to hold a month-long series of protests to demand
the resignation of President Serzh Sarksyan and new elections.

The opposition accuses the authorities of ballot-stuffing and
intimidation in the February 19 election which official results
show was won by Serzh Sarksyan, an ally of outgoing president Robert
Kocharyan.

His main challenger, former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, was placed
under house arrest after the vote and violent clashes followed on
March 1 in which nine people died.

The protesters, supporters of opposition challenger Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, chanted "Levon! Levon!" and "Levon is president".

A Reuters reporter at the scene estimated the numbers of protesters
at up to 5,000 and said there were few policemen seen around the march.

"In the course of July we must maximize the mobilization of the
people to prepare for a meeting on August 1," Ter-Petrosyan said at
a meeting before the march. "That means carrying out mass meetings,
pickets, sit-ins."

"From August 1 our slogans will be the resignation of Serzh Sarksyan
and new elections," he said.

Armenia, an ancient Christian nation of 3.2 million, lies in a Caucasus
mountains region that is emerging as a key route for pumping Caspian
Sea oil and gas to world markets, although the nation has no pipelines
of its own.

Nine people died in fighting on March 1 between protesters armed
with iron railings and soldiers wielding batons and firing rubber
bullets. Seven protesters died and two members of the security forces.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress