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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 25 april 2018

Armenia’s political transition unclear after PM’s ouster

By YURAS KARMANAU and the opposition agree
Associated Press on the date of a snap elec-
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — tion.
The abrupt resignation of With a red rose in his hand,
Armenian Prime Minister protest leader Pashinian led
Serzh Sargsyan after two the procession to the me-
weeks of protests against morial complex on Tuesday
his rule has caught the op- afternoon. His supporters
position off guard: The pro- were jubilant and anxious
testers had focused on driv- for the political transition.
ing out what they consider “We need a change of
a corrupt elite, and seem to government,” said 43-year-
lack the structure or the po- old businessman Gregor
litical platform to replace it. Adamyan. “We’re tired of
Waving the Armenian tri- pressure and corruption of
color and chanting their one clan.”
leader’s name, some The coalition of the three
10,000 opposition support- parties leading the protest
ers marched on Tuesday currently holds just 7 per-
with protest leader Nikol cent of the parliamentary
Pashinian to a hilltop me- seats and has not taken any
morial complex in Yerevan, stand on relations with Rus-
the capital of this Cauca- sia, Armenia’s key ally and
sus Mountains country, to economic donor, or any Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinian, second left, leads a march to attend a memorial service
mark the massacre of 1.5 other major political issue. at the monument to the victims of mass killings by Ottoman Turks, to commemorate the 103rd
anniversary of the massacre in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, April 24, 2018.
million Armenians a century Pashinian, a 42-year-old Associated Press
ago by Ottoman Turks. former journalist who was
Armenians across the coun- elected into parliament in Armenia other than calling shinian said, adding that of those killed. Karapetian
try are commemorating 2012 on an anti-corruption for the snap parliamentary Armenia’s electoral system said in an address to the na-
the massacre that began platform, garnered less election and making sure needs to be cleansed to tion that Tuesday’s march
103 years ago. Armenians than a quarter of the vote that none of Sargsyan’s al- ensure a free election. He to the genocide memorial
and many historians con- at last year’s mayoral elec- lies remains in office, pre- didn’t elaborate on the na- shows that “we are togeth-
sider it to be genocide, but tion in Yerevan. Pashinian venting the former prime ture of the reform. er and we are united in
Turkey, successor of the Ot- has been mildly critical of minister from pulling the The Armenian opposition spite of the difficulties and
toman Empire, vehemently Russia’s presence in Arme- strings from behind the will be naive to crack open unresolved issues at home.”
denies the claim. nia, but otherwise his politi- scenes. the champagne unless Since the Soviet Union’s
The protests, which lasted cal views are obscure. The opposition will continue Sargsyan’s allies, Karape- collapse, Armenia, a land-
ten days, culminated on “The opposition lacks a to rally until “a full transfer tian in particular, are out, locked country sand-
Monday when Prime Minis- clear program of reforms, of power” happens and analysts warned. wiched between Georgia,
ter Serzh Sargsyan, who has constructive agenda or a “people’s candidate” is “We have not seen a Iran, Turkey and Azerbai-
ruled Armenia since 2008, clear demands,” said Alex- elected prime minister, Pa- change of a political elite jan, has relied on Russia
announced his resignation, ander Iskanderian, director shinian said. yet,” said Ruben Megraby- for energy supplies and
saying that he was “wrong” of the Caucasus Institute The protest leader, dressed an of the Armenian Center loans. Strained ties with Tur-
to reject the opposition’s in Yerevan. “It’s not that in a camouflage T-shirt and for Global Studies. “Karen key and Azerbaijan have
demands for him to step people took to the streets a baseball cap, also told a Karapetian represents the crippled the country’s de-
down. to support the opposition news conference Tuesday same corrupt ruling class, velopment, making en-
The opposition insists that which has no clear struc- evening that he expects so the opposition’s victory ergy imports, among other
Sargsyan’s resignation is just ture or organization — they the snap parliamentary was symbolic.” things, costly.
the first step in the political (did so to) protest against election to be held in one Several hours before the Ties with Russia did not ap-
transition they were push- the corrupt government or two months. opposition supporters pear to be at the forefront
ing for. They want acting which became totally “We will ask people on the marched to the memorial for most protesters, and
Prime Minister Karen Kara- shameless.” square about the prime of the 1915 massacre, Kar- many of those marching in
petian, an ally of Sargsyan, Pashinian has so far not of- minister and they will vote apetian and other officials Yerevan on Tuesday spoke
to also step down after he fered any plan or vision for with their own voices,” Pa- also honored the memory favorably of Russia.q