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EU SENDS ENVOY TO MEDIATE IN ARMENIAN UNREST
Thaindian.com
March 3 2008
Thailand
Moscow/Yerevan, March 3 (DPA) The European Union Monday offered to
mediate in the post-election crisis and violent unrest in Armenia that
has left at least eight dead in the Caucasus republic, local media
reported. EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, after speaking with
Armenian President Robert Kocharian Sunday, has asked his special envoy
for the south Caucasus, Peter Semneby, to go to Yerevan on his behalf.
Eight people, including a policeman, were killed in clashes Sunday
between police and opposition protestors that led the president to
declare a 20-day state of emergency.
Witnesses said that Armenian security forces used truncheons, fired
into the air and released tear gas to disperse 15,000 protestors
against the alleged government rigging of Feb 19 presidential
elections.
Local media reported dozens of injured opposition supporters of
defeated presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, while the police
said 33 of its members were hurt.
Armoured vehicles and troops with assault rifles were patrolling
the capital Yerevan after outgoing President Kocharian declared a
state of emergency. The declaration was upheld by parliament, which
is led by the winner in the presidential election, Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian.
The small Caucasus state of 3.2 million has emerged as a strategically
important region, lying along gas routes from the energy-rich Caspian
Sea region to Europe and being a close partner of Iran.
Western powers fear instability in the region could disrupt gas routes
and further undermine a fragile security situation with Armenia's
neighbours Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Sunday's violence was the worst in Armenia's post-Soviet history,
causing Ter-Petrosian to call for a 20-day halt to demonstrations in
a radio address blared through loudspeakers on cars driven through
the city centre.
Ter-Petrosian refuses to accept official results, which showed him
with 21.43 percent of the vote, far behind Prime Minister Sarkisian
who won just over the 50-percent hurdle needed to avoid a run-off
with the second-place finisher.
The opposition has lodged an appeal with the Constitutional Court
to invalidate the results, complaining of mass voting violations,
including the beating and kidnapping of its supporters at the polls.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's
election-monitoring arm declared the elections mostly in adherence
with international standards.
Thaindian.com
March 3 2008
Thailand
Moscow/Yerevan, March 3 (DPA) The European Union Monday offered to
mediate in the post-election crisis and violent unrest in Armenia that
has left at least eight dead in the Caucasus republic, local media
reported. EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, after speaking with
Armenian President Robert Kocharian Sunday, has asked his special envoy
for the south Caucasus, Peter Semneby, to go to Yerevan on his behalf.
Eight people, including a policeman, were killed in clashes Sunday
between police and opposition protestors that led the president to
declare a 20-day state of emergency.
Witnesses said that Armenian security forces used truncheons, fired
into the air and released tear gas to disperse 15,000 protestors
against the alleged government rigging of Feb 19 presidential
elections.
Local media reported dozens of injured opposition supporters of
defeated presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, while the police
said 33 of its members were hurt.
Armoured vehicles and troops with assault rifles were patrolling
the capital Yerevan after outgoing President Kocharian declared a
state of emergency. The declaration was upheld by parliament, which
is led by the winner in the presidential election, Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian.
The small Caucasus state of 3.2 million has emerged as a strategically
important region, lying along gas routes from the energy-rich Caspian
Sea region to Europe and being a close partner of Iran.
Western powers fear instability in the region could disrupt gas routes
and further undermine a fragile security situation with Armenia's
neighbours Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Sunday's violence was the worst in Armenia's post-Soviet history,
causing Ter-Petrosian to call for a 20-day halt to demonstrations in
a radio address blared through loudspeakers on cars driven through
the city centre.
Ter-Petrosian refuses to accept official results, which showed him
with 21.43 percent of the vote, far behind Prime Minister Sarkisian
who won just over the 50-percent hurdle needed to avoid a run-off
with the second-place finisher.
The opposition has lodged an appeal with the Constitutional Court
to invalidate the results, complaining of mass voting violations,
including the beating and kidnapping of its supporters at the polls.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's
election-monitoring arm declared the elections mostly in adherence
with international standards.