Wednesday,
Russia’s Putin Congratulates Sarkisian
RUSSIA -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan before a meeting of heads of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) outside Moscow, Russia December 26, 2017
Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned Serzh Sarkisian late on Tuesday to
congratulate him on becoming Armenia’s new prime minister and thus extending
his rule.
“Both sides stressed the importance of further development of allied
partnership and cooperation in all directions,” the Kremlin said in a readout
of the phone call which came just hours after Sarkisian was elected prime
minister by the Armenian parliament.
Putin also sent a written congratulatory message to Sarkisian which was
publicized by the prime minister’s office. He expressed confidence that
Sarkisian’s premiership will help to “further strengthen” Russian-Armenian
ties.”
Putin also noted the Armenian leader’s “high political authority” and popular
support for the latter’s “policy of reforms aimed at effectively solving
socioeconomic issues facing Armenia.”
Putin is apparently the first foreign leader to congratulate Sarkisian, who
will remain Armenia’s most powerful man under a new, parliamentary system of
government. The two men most recently held talks in Moscow last November
U.S. ‘Closely Monitoring’ Protests In Armenia
Armenia - Opposition supporters demonstrate outside the prime minister's office
in Yerevan, .
The United States urged Armenia security forces and opposition protesters to
show “restraint” as anti-government demonstrations in Yerevan and other parts
of Armenia continued for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday.
The U.S. State Department described as “significant” the ongoing protests
sparked by Serzh Sarkisian’s decision to remain in power after serving out his
final presidential term earlier this month.
“We are monitoring closely ongoing protests in downtown Yerevan and other
cities in Armenia,” it said in a statement. “We are encouraged by the
responsible and respectful behavior of the vast majority of protestors and
police throughout the last several days.”
“We are troubled, however, by reports of sporadic clashes between police and
protesters, including some injuries. We encourage both government authorities
and the protesters to exercise restraint and avoid any escalatory or violent
actions,” added the statement.
On Wednesday morning, hundreds of mostly young people again marched through the
center of Yerevan as part of what their leader, Nikol Pashinian, has called a
“velvet revolution.” He urged Armenians to gather in the city’s central
Republic Square in the evening. Thousands of them rallied there the previous
night.
Armenia - Police detain a protester in Yerevan, .
Security forces unexpectedly allowed them to walk past the parliament building
and reach the former presidential palace which will now be the seat of
Armenia’s new prime minister, Sarkisian.
Both buildings are located on Marshal Bagramian Avenue, the scene of Monday’s
violent clash between Pashinian-led protesters and riot police which left 46
people injured. Scores of police officers clad in riot gear were deployed there
until Wednesday morning.
Pashinian urged supporters to “show respect” for a relatively small number of
policemen guarding the premier’s office and avoid conflicts with them. “Any
violence, any provocation must be ruled out,” he said.
Meanwhile, at least 66 people were detained at Yerevan’s France Square, the
focal point of the daily protests. Riot police were deployed there when
Pashinian and the other protesters rallied outside the former presidential
palace. They remained there when the crowd returned to the square about an hour
later.
A police officer at the scene warned Pashinian that his latest demonstration
was not sanctioned by municipal authorities. Still, security forces avoided
using force against the protesters and the latter marched to other parts of the
city center.
In a fresh statement, the Armenian police again threatened to break up the
protests if Pashinian refuses to end his “illegal actions.”
Armenia - Opposition supporters demonstrate in Yerevan, .
Anti-Sarkisian demonstrations attended by a smaller number of young people also
continued in Gyumri and Vanadzor, the country’s second and third largest city.
Organizers called on more local students to boycott classes and join them.
In Gyumri, protesting youths scuffled with police officers guarding the
entrance to a local school. They accused authorities of preventing students
from exercising their political rights.
A similar protest also broke out on Wednesday in Armavir, a town 40 kilometers
west of Yerevan. Dozens of university and high school students rallied there in
support of Pashinian’s campaign for regime change. They marched to a local high
school where the entrance door was apparently locked to prevent more students
from joining the protests. The school principal refused to open the door,
saying that classes must not be disrupted.
The Armenian Ministry of Education expressed serious concern at
schoolchildren’s participation in the protests. In a statement, it urged the
protest organizers not to attract minors to their political gatherings.
Armenian Ruling Party Offers ‘Dialogue’ To Opposition Leader
• Ruzanna Stepanian
• Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian holds an anti-government rally in
Yerevan, .
The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) on Wednesday urged opposition
leader Nikol Pashinian to end his continuing rallies in Yerevan and embark on a
“dialogue” with the government.
The HHK spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, said Pashinian will fail to force the
newly installed Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian into resignation and his
“extreme actions” could lead to bloodshed.
“That is a very serious burden of responsibility,” Sharmazanov told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “That is why I am calling for dialogue and
solidarity.”
“Whether you love or hate Sharmazanov, I love you all,” he added, appealing to
Pashinian and his mostly young supporters demonstrating in Yerevan and other
parts of the country.
“[Political] dialogue occurs in parliament,” Sharmazanov said when asked to
elaborate on his offer. “Yesterday we witnessed a good example of dialogue.”
The official referred to verbal exchanges between Sarkisian and several
deputies from the opposition Yelk alliance during Tuesday’s session of the
Armenian parliament which voted to elect the new premier. While refusing to
join Pashinian’s campaign, those lawmakers criticized Sarkisian and voted
against his continued rule. Sarkisian urged them to “bring your colleague from
the street to the parliament.”
Pashinian and three senior members of his Civil Contract party were also
elected to the parliament on the Yelk ticket. They all boycotted Tuesday’s
session.
ARMENIA -- Armenia's former President Serzh Sarkisian attends a session of the
parliament in Yerevan,
Pashinian shrugged off Sharmazanov’s offer as hundreds of his supporters
continued to march through central Yerevan. “What dialogue after all this?” he
told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) outside three government
ministries surrounded by the protesters.
The outspoken politician appealed to the ministry staffers through a megaphone,
saying that they should also take to the streets and “exercise your rights.”
Pashinian and his supporters then chanted the main slogan of the protests:
“Take a step, reject Serzh!”
Sharmazanov said that the protests must end also because they are “getting out
hand.” Pashinian cannot “endlessly exploit the authorities’ patience” and
“exceptional restraint” shown by the police, he said.
In particular, the ruling party spokesman pointed out that several young men
smashed traffic lights and hurled rocks at a police car in downtown Yerevan the
previous night.
Pashinian was quick to strongly deny any responsibility for what he called an
HHK “provocation” aimed at discrediting his movement.He argued that the
incident occurred after he told supporters to go home following Tuesday’s
rallies. He also noted that law-enforcement bodies have not arrested any of the
violent youths who were caught on cameras.
Protesters Again March To Armenian PM’s Office
• Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - Opposition supporters demonstrate outside the prime minister's office
in Yerevan, .
Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian and thousands of his supporters again marched
unimpeded to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s office in Yerevan late on
Wednesday in continuing protest against his decade-long rule.
As was the case earlier in the day, riot police did not stop them from
approaching the compound where Sarkisian worked in his previous capacity as
president of the republic. Hundreds of baton-wielding officers led by the
commander of Armenian interior troops were deployed in and around it.
Pashinian told the protesters to applaud the security forces when they reached
a section of Marshal Bagramian Avenue facing the former presidential palace.
“We wish the policemen good night and good service,” he said.
The crowd walked back to downtown Yerevan several minutes later.
Another section of Bagramian Avenue was the scene of a violent clash on Monday
between Pashinian-led protesters and riot police which left 46 people,
including Pashinian, injured.
The 42-year-old leader of the opposition Civil Contract party led the crowd to
the prime minister’s office after holding another rally in the city’s main
Republic Square. He seemed to have attracted fewer people than the previous
night.
Armenia -- Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian holds a rally in Republic Square,
Yerevan, 18Apr2018
In a long speech, Pashinian pledged to continue his anti-government “velvet
resolution” aimed at unseating Sarkisian. “This process must gain new momentum
every day, and Serzh Sarkisian must feel isolated in his newly privatized
mansion,” he said.
Pashinian urged supporters to gather in the vast square and block entrances to
government buildings the following morning in order to prevent their employees
from going to work. He declined to specify which buildings he is planning to
block, noting only that Sarkisian will be holding his first cabinet meeting on
Thursday. “We have prepared a surprise for Serzh Sarkisian,” he said without
elaborating.
Pashinian also defended his decision to encourage not only university students
but also underage Armenians to participate in his daily protests. What is more,
he urged high school students across the country to boycott classes.
ARMENIA -- Armenian special police forces block a street during an opposition
rally in central Yerevan,
According to the police, 20 of 87 protesters detained and held in custody for
several hours on Wednesday were minors. The Armenian Ministry of Education
issued a statement urging the protest organizers to discourage schoolchildren
from taking to the streets.
Sarkisian downplayed the scale of the unrest when he was elected prime minister
by the parliament on Tuesday. But he sounded more concerned in an interview
with the Shant TV channel partly aired on Wednesday. He said continued street
protests in the capital would scare away foreign tourists and investors from
Armenia.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” denounces what it sees as a power grab by Serzh Sarkisian,
comparing him to the late Leonid Brezhnev who governed the Soviet Union for
nearly two decades. The paper says that Sarkisian’s speech in the parliament on
Tuesday was “full of various lies,” including the claim that his HHK party did
not hand out vote bribes during the April 2017 parliamentary elections. It
specifically disproves the incoming prime minister’s claim that no
international election monitoring body alleged widespread vote buying in the
polls. It cites an excerpt from a post-election report released by a monitoring
mission deployed in Armenia by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe.
“Zhamanak” says Sarkisian only briefly mentioned the ongoing street
demonstrations against his rule. The paper says that his calls for opposition
leader Nikol Pashinian to return “from the street to the parliament” are not
realistic. “Pashinian sees his activities only on the street,” it explains.
“Does the government see any other option? Judging from Serzh Sarkisian’s
behavior in the parliament, the government sees no other option and thinks that
by not using force it is already making a big concession.”
“Nothing tragic or encouraging has occurred,” writes “Hraparak.” “So one must
neither bemoan nor rejoice in connection with Serzh Sarkisian being elected
prime minister.” The paper says that only those individuals whose lifestyles
and livelihoods hinge on Sarkisian’s rule are “euphoric” about his new post.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” cites reports that the ruling HHK is mobilizing “criminal
elements” in Yerevan for violent “provocations” against participants of the
anti-Sarkisian rallies. The paper cites photographs of at least two meetings of
such individuals disseminated by online and social media. “Besides, cars
without license plates were spotted near the HHK headquarters,” it says. The
pro-opposition daily alleges that the ruling party was behind a late-night
violent incident in downtown Yerevan.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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