Tweet
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT LASHES OUT AT INTERNAL AND FOREIGN OPPONENTS TO ITS STANCE
Grace Annan
Global Insight
March 5, 2008
Yesterday saw a reinforcement of the Armenian state's hard-line
stance on the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the results of the 19
February presidential elections. Outgoing President Robert Kocharian
reiterated his refusal to enter peace talks with the opposition led by
the scorned Lev Ter-Petrossian, and upheld the state of emergency he
had imposed following Saturday's violent clashes with the police (see
Armenia: 3 March 2008: ). Kocharian could count on the support of the
parliament; the latter approved a request from the State Prosecutor
for the arrest of four deputies, who support Ter-Petrossian. Police
forces also arrested 30 suspects in relation to Saturday's riots on
the same day. To add fat to the fire, the ceasefire with neighbouring
Azerbaijan over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was also breached
yesterday, when a dispute between border controls resulted in the
death of 12 Armenian soldiers and eight Azerbaijani soldiers.
Significance:The latest events present the government of incoming
president Serzh Sargsyan in a negative light. The ongoing conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted just when the government was embroiled
in another fight for supremacy with Ter-Petrossian. The somewhat
clumsy stance of the Organization for Co-operation and Security in
Europe (OSCE) only exacerbates the domestic tensions, as the body
oscillates between cautious support for the election results and harsh
criticism of the imposed state of emergency. Kocharian and Sargsyan
can certainly count on their 103-28 majority in parliament to push
through legislation aimed at Ter-Petrossian's supporters.
Yet, the arrest of deputies and the killings of protesters do not
sit well with international observers. Ter-Petrossian has so far
retained the upper hand in the domestic disputes. His experience with
public protests in 1996--when he sent tanks to dispel demonstrations
against his re-election as president--could help him steer through
these delicate times. However, he must transform himself from a
scorned opposition candidate to an appealing, inclusive politician
at the right moment if he wants to rally both his supporters and
international observers such as the OSCE behind his cause.
Grace Annan
Global Insight
March 5, 2008
Yesterday saw a reinforcement of the Armenian state's hard-line
stance on the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the results of the 19
February presidential elections. Outgoing President Robert Kocharian
reiterated his refusal to enter peace talks with the opposition led by
the scorned Lev Ter-Petrossian, and upheld the state of emergency he
had imposed following Saturday's violent clashes with the police (see
Armenia: 3 March 2008: ). Kocharian could count on the support of the
parliament; the latter approved a request from the State Prosecutor
for the arrest of four deputies, who support Ter-Petrossian. Police
forces also arrested 30 suspects in relation to Saturday's riots on
the same day. To add fat to the fire, the ceasefire with neighbouring
Azerbaijan over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was also breached
yesterday, when a dispute between border controls resulted in the
death of 12 Armenian soldiers and eight Azerbaijani soldiers.
Significance:The latest events present the government of incoming
president Serzh Sargsyan in a negative light. The ongoing conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted just when the government was embroiled
in another fight for supremacy with Ter-Petrossian. The somewhat
clumsy stance of the Organization for Co-operation and Security in
Europe (OSCE) only exacerbates the domestic tensions, as the body
oscillates between cautious support for the election results and harsh
criticism of the imposed state of emergency. Kocharian and Sargsyan
can certainly count on their 103-28 majority in parliament to push
through legislation aimed at Ter-Petrossian's supporters.
Yet, the arrest of deputies and the killings of protesters do not
sit well with international observers. Ter-Petrossian has so far
retained the upper hand in the domestic disputes. His experience with
public protests in 1996--when he sent tanks to dispel demonstrations
against his re-election as president--could help him steer through
these delicate times. However, he must transform himself from a
scorned opposition candidate to an appealing, inclusive politician
at the right moment if he wants to rally both his supporters and
international observers such as the OSCE behind his cause.