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Thousands attend opposition rally before Armenian elections
AP Worldstream
Published: May 06, 2007
Some 6,000 people turned out Sunday for a rally organized by an
opposition party that hopes to improve its foothold in parliamentary
elections in the former Soviet republic of Armenia next weekend.
Leaders of the party Orinats Yerkir, whose name means Country Ruled by
Law, accused President Robert Kocharian's government of corruption and
cronyism in speeches to the crowd in central Yerevan.
Party leader Artur Bagdasarian vowed to protest vigorously if the
party suspects fraud in Saturday's vote. Opposition parties said 2003
parliamentary and presidential elections were marred by fraud and
intimidation, and international observers also said he votes failed to
meet standards for democracy.
The pro-Western Bagdasarian resigned as parliament speaker last year,
after his liberal party quit the governing coalition because of
dissatisfaction with the government's foreign policy and the pace of
democratic reform. His resignation came after a political uproar over
his reported comment that Armenia's future lies with the European
Union and NATO and that Russia should not block its Westward path.
Armenia and Russia have close relations, and Kocharian quickly
disavowed the speaker's statement, saying that Armenia had no plans to
join NATO.
Several lawmakers from Orinats Yerkir quit the party's parliamentary
faction amid the scandal, leaving it with just five seats in the
131-member parliament.
Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian's Republican Party held about half the
seats in the outgoing parliament and was expected to maintain its
dominance in the new parliament, to be elected Saturday.
Opposition leaders say Kocharian and his government have violently
cracked down on dissent, allowed corruption to flourish and done
little to improve the lot of impoverished Armenia's 3.3 million
people.
AP Worldstream
Published: May 06, 2007
Some 6,000 people turned out Sunday for a rally organized by an
opposition party that hopes to improve its foothold in parliamentary
elections in the former Soviet republic of Armenia next weekend.
Leaders of the party Orinats Yerkir, whose name means Country Ruled by
Law, accused President Robert Kocharian's government of corruption and
cronyism in speeches to the crowd in central Yerevan.
Party leader Artur Bagdasarian vowed to protest vigorously if the
party suspects fraud in Saturday's vote. Opposition parties said 2003
parliamentary and presidential elections were marred by fraud and
intimidation, and international observers also said he votes failed to
meet standards for democracy.
The pro-Western Bagdasarian resigned as parliament speaker last year,
after his liberal party quit the governing coalition because of
dissatisfaction with the government's foreign policy and the pace of
democratic reform. His resignation came after a political uproar over
his reported comment that Armenia's future lies with the European
Union and NATO and that Russia should not block its Westward path.
Armenia and Russia have close relations, and Kocharian quickly
disavowed the speaker's statement, saying that Armenia had no plans to
join NATO.
Several lawmakers from Orinats Yerkir quit the party's parliamentary
faction amid the scandal, leaving it with just five seats in the
131-member parliament.
Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian's Republican Party held about half the
seats in the outgoing parliament and was expected to maintain its
dominance in the new parliament, to be elected Saturday.
Opposition leaders say Kocharian and his government have violently
cracked down on dissent, allowed corruption to flourish and done
little to improve the lot of impoverished Armenia's 3.3 million
people.