Tensions rise as Yerevan election campaign kicks off

Tensions appear to be rising as official campaigning kicked off for this month’s crucial municipal election in Yerevan. While the Republican and Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) parties planted trees in various districts of the city, Prosperous Armenia held a free concert in Komitas on Sunday. RFE/RL also reports that the ARF-D, recently departed from the ruling coalition government, seems to be setting its sights on the traditional opposition.

“We must realize that it is wrong to say that by winning [control over] the municipality we can create a state within a state and that the next step, regime change, will not be long in coming: the president of the republic will resign and these authorities will go,” said another Dashnaktsutyun leader, Armen Rustamian.

The message was clearly addressed to the main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) that has pledged to turn the municipal polls into a “second round” of the disputed presidential election and use its possible victory for toppling Sarkisian. The HAK rallied thousands of supporters in downtown Yerevan on Friday.

Its top leader, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, described proper conduct of the May 31 vote as Sarkisian’s “last chance to gain some authority with Armenian society and the international community.” Ter-Petrosian did not say, though, what his 18-party alliance will do if it considers the vote to have been fraudulent.

Indeed, as a sign of how charged emotions could get in the event of an overly-fraudulent election, a rally in the same district by former president and extra-parliamentary opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian was not without incident.

Starting off with a short march from the Armenian National Congress (ANC) office in the area to an adjacent part led by enthusiastic members of the opposition alliance’s Hima youth movement, clashes almost broke out between police and opposition supporters during the march held afterwards.

At one point, the situation ran the risk of spiralling out of control with police shoving protesters and some fighting back. Clashes were averted, however, and the march proceeded from close by the Komitas market to the bottom of the road of the same name.

Testing the live video streaming capabilities of 3G mobile technology and the Nokia N82, The Caucasian Knot broadcast some of the incidents as they happened.

One reason why the election, ostensibly to elect a 65-person municipal council, is fraught with the possibility for clashes lies with how much power an indirectly elected mayor would potentially hold in the capital — the economic and political heart of the country. It is for this reason why some international organizations are already privately expressing concern over the conduct of the vote to date.

Failing to come to power in last years disputed and bitterly contested presidential election, his supporters make no secret of who they want to come to power. Three young Ter-Petrossian supporters at the rally explained to The Caucasian Knot why they believe the 31 May municipal election is more than just about determining the first elected mayor of the city in 15 years.

Regardless of some of the uglier moments of yesterday’s rally, however, the meeting was otherwise peaceful and colorful albeit at times somewhat boisterous. Unlike previous meetings, and most recently on Friday, Ter-Petrossian also did not address those assembled reading from a prepared speech. With some apologizing that the ANC could not asphalt streets, as many governmental parties do during elections, all eyes will now be on attendances at later rallies.

As always, using mobile video, photography, blogs and Twitter, The Caucasian Knot will cover events as they occur. Watch this space.

Levon Ter-Petrossian, ANC pre-election campaign rally, Komitas, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009

Aram Sarkissian, ANC pre-election campaign rally, Komitas, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009

Aram Manukian, ANC pre-election campaign rally, Komitas, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009

ANC pre-election campaign rally, Komitas, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009

Levon Ter-Petrossian, ANC pre-election campaign rally, Komitas, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009