Stories about Armenia from February, 2008
Armenia: Presidential Election Today
Polls have been open for today's presidential election in Armenia for eight hours now in a crucial vote which will determine the successor to the incumbent but outgoing president, Robert Kocharian. Until a more comprehensive post after polling stations close, my Armenia Election Monitor 2008 and The Armenian Observer are...
Armenia: Bloggers Consider Election Choices
The Armenian Observer posts a comprehensive update and roundup on what's new in the pre-election blogosphere. In particular, the digest examines how some bloggers consider the various candidates on offer and how to cast their votes.
Armenia: Opposition Discord
Unzipped is disappointed by news that an opposition candidate has not pulled out of the race for next week's presidential election in Armenia to support another, former president Levon Ter-Petrossian. Meanwhile, The Armenian Observer offers another opinion.
Armenia: Opposition Rally
The Armenian Patchwork posts photographs of a pre-election campaign rally held by former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri.
Armenia: Trndez
Today might have been St. Valentine's day, but in Armenia it was also Trndez, an ancient pagan festival now absorbed into the Christian calendar. Posts from Armenia, a Peace Corps blog, posts an account of the festival.
Armenia: US, Russian-backed Regime Change?
Archuk's Blog, which has already asked who exactly woke up the former president, comments on reports that Levon Ter-Petrossian was recently in Moscow. The blogger says that while it's possible the former head of state was there just for a “bowl of of borsh and a shot of Stolichnaya,” it's...
Armenia: Blogging Competition
The Armenian Observer comments on a new competition to find the best blog post in the Armenian blogosphere. While the number of Armenian blogs increases, quality is deteriorating and the blogger suggests that such a competition might help the situation.
Armenia: Spelling Bee
Posts from Armenia, a Peace Corps Blog, reports on attempts to introduce Spelling Bee competitions in the country.
Armenia: Political Assassination?
Following accusations made at a recent pre-election campaign meeting by the radical opposition that the 27 October 1999 assassinations in the Armenian Parliament were linked to attempts to broker a peace deal with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Nazarian asks if the current president and prime minister...
USA: Armenian, Azeri Lobbies Prepare for Election
Marilisa Lorusso's blog turns its attention to how the ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani lobbies are attempting to influence the position of candidates for the U.S. presidential election.
Armenia: Heritage Supports Ter-Petrossian
Blogian also comments on the latest development in the presidential race ahead of next Tuesday's vote in Armenia. However, the blogger warns that while the party's leader, Raffi Hovannisian, is considered an honest politician, his support for a former president considered synonymous by some with the “cold, dark years” of...
Armenia: Opposition Party Supports Former President
Unzipped comments on news that the opposition Heritage party formed and led by U.S. born Raffi Hovannisian has decided to support the former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, in next week's presidential election in Armenia. The blog concludes that the news is the most significant development ahead of the 19 February vote.
Armenia: Presidential Election Monitor 2008
With the prime minister campaigning for next week's presidential election in Armenia, a significant opposition party declared its support for a former president running for the vote who reportedly paid a visit to Moscow the night before probably to drum up support for his bid to return to power. All...
Armenia: Media Concerns
The Armenian Observer points out some valid flaws in a recent study of the media ahead of the 19 February 2008 presidential election in Armenia. In particular, the blogger says that concentrating too much on the print media skewed assessment of the actual situation.
Armenia: Election European Youth Press Monitoring
The Armenia Election 2008: European Youth Press Monitoring site is up and running. The site dedicated to covering the 19 February presidential election in Armenia is a collaboration between European Youth Press, Orangelog and the local Manana Youth Educational Cultural Center.
Armenia: Fire at Ministry of Justice
Both Nazarian and Unzipped briefly comment on the sudden and somewhat mysterious fire that engulfed at least two floors of the Ministry of Justice. However, while one of the pro-Ter-Petrossian bloggers considers the fire a bad sign ahead of the election, the other implies that it might have been by...
Armenia: Radical Opposition Momentum
Unzipped says he believes that the pre-election campaign by former president Levon Ter-Petrossian is gaining momentum. In particular, yesterday's rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square gives the blogger hope although he also notes that another candidate, Artur Baghdasarian, has not withdrawn his candidacy in Ter-Petrossian’s support before the official deadline to...
Armenia: Quote of the Day
Nazarian criticizes the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun for the pre-election campaign rhetoric of its candidate, Vahan Hovannisian. The blogger points out that the party continues to criticize the very same government it is part of.
Armenia: Nationalist Politics?
Blogian comments on Friday's pre-election campaign rally by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun’s candidate Vahan Hovannisian and especially with regards to debate over its nationalist credentials in the media.
Armenia: Propaganda & Beatings
Both Nazarian and Unzipped are alarmed by the beating of youth distributing Levon Ter-Petrossian pre-election campaign leaflets in Yerevan. At the same time, other leaflets accusing the former president of treason due to what many consider to be a concessionary position on resolution of the Karabakh conflict are being handed...
Armenia: Kocharian Discusses Elections with Police
Nazarian raises concerns with a recent meeting between the incumbent and outgoing president, Robert Kocharian, and the heads of various “power ministries.”
