APRIL 1 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkish Airlines cancelled its first flight to Armenia, a transport link that had been designed to ease tension between the two neighbours. Turkish Airlines had been due to fly twice weekly from Van in eastern Turkey to Yerevan. Azerbaijan, still officially at war with Armenia, persuaded Turkey, its long-term ally, to scrap the flights.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 130, published on April 5 2013)
MARCH 27 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s national airline, Armavia, declared itself bankrupt after failing to find a buyer. AP quoted Armavia’s owner, Mikhail Bagdasarov, as saying that the economic downturn and problems with the Russia-made Sukhoi passenger jet had lead to the debt. Armavia operates 14 aircraft to 20 destinations.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 129, published on March 29 2013)
MARCH 29 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Raffi Hovannisian, the runner-up in a presidential election in Armenia in February, said he would end a hunger strike on April 1, media reported. He had started the hunger strike to protest against what he described as a rigged vote. Mr Hovannisian promised to continue street protests.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 129, published on March 29 2013)
MARCH 10 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenian opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian began a hunger strike to protest against what he claims was a rigged Feb. 18 presidential election. Mr Hovannisian, a former foreign minister, came second in the election with 37% of the vote. Incumbent president Serzh Sarksyan won the election with 59%.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 127, published on March 15 2013)
MARCH 4 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s main opposition leaders lodged a complaint that the Feb. 18 presidential election won by the incumbent Serzh Sarksyan was rigged. Since the result hundreds of people, lead by Raffi Hovannisian who came second in the election with 37% of the vote, have demonstrated in central Yerevan.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 126, published on March 8 2013)
MARCH 6 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Police in Yerevan arrested Vardan Sedrakyan, a candidate in Armenia’s presidential election last month, for organising the attempted assassination of Paruyr Hayrikyan, who also stood in the vote, media reported. A gunman shot Mr Hayrikyan in the shoulder outside his home shortly before the election. Prosecutors did not suggest a motive for the apparent murder attempt.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 126, published on March 8 2013)
FEB. 18 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – As expected, Armenians re-elected Serzh Sarksyan for a second term as president. Mr Sarksyan won 58% of the vote. His nearest rival, Raffi Hovhannisyan, polled around 37% of the vote. Opponents of Mr Sarksyan accused his supporters of rigging the vote and organised a series of street demonstrations.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 125, published on Feb. 22 2013)
FEB. 18 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – As expected, Armenians re-elected Serzh Sarksyan for a second term as president. Mr Sarksyan won 58% of the vote. His nearest rival, Raffi Hovhannisyan, polled around 37% of the vote. Opponents of Mr Sarksyan accused his supporters of rigging the vote and organised a series of street demonstrations.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 125, published on Feb. 22 2013)
FEB. 15 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenian president Serzh Sarksyan is expected to win another five years in power at a presidential election on Feb. 18, media reported. A poll by Gallup, published on Feb. 9, gave Mr Sarksyan 69% of the vote compared to his nearest challenger, Raffi Hovhannisyan, with 11% of the vote.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 124, published on Feb. 15 2013)
FEB. 11 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – A pro-government party offered a $13,000 reward to anybody who cuts off the ear of novelist Akram Aylisli. The threat was quickly retracted but the New York-based Human Rights Watch accused pro-government factions of intimidating Mr Aylisli because his new novel is sympathetic towards Armenia, which fought Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 124, published on Feb. 15 2013)
