ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SWORN IN
By Agencies
MWC News
April 9 2008
Canada
Thousands of opposition supporters staged three days of protests in
Yerevan after the elections [EPA] Serzh Sarkisian has been inaugrated
as president of Armenia nearly two months after elections which the
opposition criticised as rigged.
As he was sworn in before dozens of foreign dignitaries and government
officials inside the opera house in the capital Yerevan, Sarkisian
promised to work with his opponents.
Sarkisian, a former prime minister who was hand-picked by outgoing
president Robert Kocharian, won 53 per cent of the vote in February’s
election.
But thousands of supporters of Levon Ter-Petrosian, the runner up,
rallied for 11 days against the result, accusing authorities of fraud.
In his inaugural address before parliament, Sarkisian said: "This
ceremony takes place about a month after painful events, which
inflicted wounds that are still fresh."
"These wounds caused pain and bitterness to all of us. Today, I urge
everybody to look forward, together, to seek and find the path of
reconciliation, of development, for the future of Armenia."
State of emergency
Following the presidential election, clashes erupted when riot police
moved in to disperse protesters on March 1.
Seven civilians and one security officer were killed and dozens were
injured, many from gunshot wounds.
A 20-day state of emergency imposed after the unrest was lifted on
March 20, but tough restrictions on public demonstrations remain
in place.
Police have arrested 90 people in connection with the unrest, including
many senior opposition figures.
Western observers issued an overall positive assessment of the February
19 election, but noted serious flaws, especially during the vote count.
The 53-year-old had been prime minister since last year after his
Republican Party swept parliamentary polls.
The former Soviet republic, a Christian state of around three million
people, lies on the edge of the Caucasus region and is a key energy
transit route between Asia and Europe.