Levon Ter-Petrossian Protests Continue
Less than a week since the 19 February presidential election in Armenia and it feels as though the country is entering the final phase of the battle between president-elect, Serge Sargsyan, and the first president, Levon Ter-Petrossian. The supporters of both claim victory for their candidate.
Regardless, while the authorities are beginning to show some of panic with the what appear to be the illegal detention of three of Ter-Petrossian’s team, the rallies in Yerevan’s Liberty Square continue unabated. And if Public TV and Radio fails to report them adequately or even at all, the online media does.
RFE/RL reported on yesterday’s rally.
Ter-Petrosian urged Armenians to attend his rallies in even larger rallies and thereby put the authorities under greater pressure to call a repeat election.
“We must show these authorities that the whole people don’t accept them,” he told an estimated 40,000 people who gathered in the city’s Liberty Square. “We must show the entire world that the Armenian people do not tolerate such an unworthy and blasphemous government.”
“This square must be full day and night until the victorious end of our struggle,” he said.
[…]
In his speech, Ter-Petrosian also accused the United States and Europe of turning a blind eye to what he described as large-scale fraud that marred the Armenian election. “The West doesn’t care about democracy here,” he said. “The West is not sincere in trying to establish democracy in Armenia. They need a weak, dictatorial regime so that they can always have leverage against it.”
Estimates for the size of crowd assembled daily in Yerevan’s Liberty Square vary, with Reuters saying 35,000 and the BBC and AFP as many as 50,000. My personal estimate would be to say 35-40,000, but whichever it is, it’s large. Maybe not as many as the 200-300,000 that Ter-Petrossian’s team claims, but it’s enough for their purposes at the moment. More importantly, it’s consistent.
Contrary to rumor, however, public transport has not ground to a halt in the capital with the metro and buses running normally yesterday as well as on other days. As such, it remains to be seen to what extent those numbers can be increased during this week which it can be assumed will see some type of decisive action by either side, but another point is very significant indeed.
The crowd is somewhat unimpressive in terms of spirit when Ter-Petrossian is not present, but when he is, the atmosphere is electric. Even so, his team have also been very skilled in using other distractions to keep people interested. At yesterday’s rally, for example, imprisoned war veteran Vardan Malkhasyan addressed the crowd from his prison cell.
The message was broadcast live by mobile telephone.
Malkhasyan was detained along with another war veteran, Lebanese-born Zhirayr Sefilian, in December 2007 as part of a crackdown ahead of the May parliamentary election. The two men were accused of plotting to overthrow the government by staging a coup d’etat. That might have failed then, but they appear to have gotten a second chance through Ter-Petrossian. Sefilian’s son was there yesterday to also address the crowd as well as to entertain another Ter-Petrossian backer, Hovannes Hovannisian.
Despite such side-shows, it has to be said that the rallies which last as long as five hours wouldn’t appear to be for anyone but the most ardent supporter of the former president. Even the usual names such as Stepan Demirchian and new ones — or rather former officials dragged back into the limelight — such as Ter-Petrossian’s prime minister, Hrant Bagratian, aren’t enough to keep anyone’s attention for long, but people aren’t there for them. They’re there for Ter-Petrossian.
But that’s the point and something quite unique for Armenia. The crowd is dedicated and while it shows no sign of losing interest, their energy noticeably increases when Ter-Petrossian arrives. Yesterday he came with his wife and grandchildren to rapturous applause. Another smart move by the former president.
Ter-Petrossian’s rallies are being billed as a “popular movement” and attempts are made to involve everybody. Yesterday, following some song and dance by a small girl plucked from the audience, female members of the crowd marched on the Council of Public TV & Radio. It was perfect for heightened interest from the international media as well as local and foreign photgraphers and cameramen alike.
Back to Liberty Square and more music and dance before Ter-Petrossian delivers his main speech of the day. Just watching him gesticulate and promise everything to the crowd is quite different than being present at a speech by the prime minister and president-elect, Serge Sargsyan. When people say that Ter-Petrossian has the ability to mobilize and retain the interest of his supporters with his presence, it’s true.
What happens next is anybody’s guess, but many speculate that something has to happen this week. The outgoing president has threatened severe action against the protesters if the situation continues while Ter-Petrossian is perhaps getting ready to play his main trump card. Now Sargsyan has officially been confirmed as the next president, Ter-Petrossian has stated that he will appeal the decision at the Constitutional Court.
Given that many of Ter-Petrossian’s old allies exist within that structure, and especially the court’s head, Gagik Harutyunyan who served as his vice-president and acting prime minister in the early 1990s. Harutyunyan was also appointed to his current position under Ter-Petrossian and instrumental in throwing out appeals when the 1996 presidential election was believed to have been falsified in the former president’s favor.
It’s hard to say which way it will go, but it would appear that the end game will soon be upon us if it isn’t already. Whether most Armenians actually care is debatable, but it seems as though something has to happen. What remains to be seen is whether the ending to the saga of those formerly in power pitting themselves against those currently at the top is violent or peaceful.
Regardless of who takes the presidency, most of us can only hope it through non-violent means. Life has been continuing as normal in my part of town and for most Armenians in the capital. What also remains to be seen this week is if that situation changes.
Photos: © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008
- Published:
- 02.25.08 / 1am by Onnik
- Category:
- Armenia, Armenia Presidential Election 2008, Demonstrations, Photojournalism, Rallies, Revolution
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