Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08YEREVAN154
2008-02-21 12:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
ARMENIA ELECTION AFTERMATH: TER-PETROSSIAN PASSES
how-toVZCZCXRO3724 PP RUEHLMC DE RUEHYE #0154 0521243 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211243Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7067 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1479 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0476 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0635 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0558 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000154
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC CASC KDEM AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA ELECTION AFTERMATH: TER-PETROSSIAN PASSES
US A CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE
Classified By: CDA Joseph Pennington, reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000154
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC CASC KDEM AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA ELECTION AFTERMATH: TER-PETROSSIAN PASSES
US A CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE
Classified By: CDA Joseph Pennington, reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) "URGENT MESSAGE": Presidential candidate Levon
Ter-Petrossian's (LTP) adviser, Levon Zurabian, requested an
urgent meeting with PolChief February 21. Suggesting the
possibility of electronic eavesdropping, Zurabian passed
PolChief a note (text at para 5),which he said was directly
from LTP -- specifically, LTP had dictated the message to
Zurabian in Armenian, who translated and transcribed the note
into English. Zurabian is both a close LTP adviser, and
LTP's designated go-between with the U.S. Embassy.
2. (C) POSSIBLE CLASH/HOPE FOR A SECOND ROUND: Aside from
handing over the note, Zurabian made two points orally.
First, that the campaign had information that authorities
would disrupt the LTP rally planned for 15:00 local that same
day. Second, he alleged that the authorities had
deliberately left open the possibility of modifying the
published results, such that PM Sargsian's results would fall
under the 50 percent threshold, and thus send the election to
a second round. He said they had done this by leaving some
precinct results unverified.
(COMMENT: He was not entirely specific on this point, and we
have no independent evidence that this may be the case.
However, we understand that something much like this happened
during one of President Kocharian's two elections, in which
authorities backed away from an early announcement of an
absolute majority, to announced revised figures below 50
percent, in the face of popular protests. END COMMENT).
3. (C) POSSIBLE MARCH ON FRENCH EMBASSY: We asked Zurabian
some more general questions. He asserted that some 400 LTP
candidate proxies or commission members had been assaulted
and ejected from polling places on election day. He further
asserted the campaign's belief that LTP rightfully won the
election -- not necessarily a majority, but a plurality --
based on reports from candidate representatives in the
polling places early on election night. We asked about
planned marches -- specifically to foreign embassies, based
on a rumor we had heard. Zurabian said there was no firm
plan, but there had been some talk of marching to the French
Embassy, in protest over French President Sarkozy's prompt
congratulations message to PM Sargsian. Nothing had been
said about marching in front of the U.S. Embassy or any
others.
4. (C) RESTRAINT URGED: PolChief urged that all actions be
peaceful, mentioning that both the LTP campaign and
authorities were each to be commended for preserving the
peace during yesterday's rallies and march. Zurabian
reaffirmed that this was the LTP campaign's plan, but
expressed concern that authorities would intervene forcefully.
5. (C) FULL TEXT OF LTP NOTE:
The people are angry. They push us to resort to decisive
actions. We want to keep the movement within the legal
framework and we are intent to continue that way. However,
doing so seems to be difficult, at some point the situation
may go out of control.
The only way out is the second round in the presidential
elections. This will allow keeping the people,s movement
within constitutional confines.
Our request is: to put pressure on the authorities to go this
way. Also, to put pressure on them not to disrupt our
peaceful manifestations, demonstrations
and marches. They will not be able to reject your pressure.
END TEXT
6. (C) COMMENT: We have no wish to be drawn into the
domestic political situation, but it is evident that LTP
hopes for exactly that. Whatever public statement we make is
likely to be seized upon by one side or the other, either to
validate the outcome or to indict it. We see no alternative,
however, but to continue to evaluate this election as
objectively as we can, and letting that analysis guide our
public statements.
PENNINGTON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC CASC KDEM AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA ELECTION AFTERMATH: TER-PETROSSIAN PASSES
US A CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE
Classified By: CDA Joseph Pennington, reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) "URGENT MESSAGE": Presidential candidate Levon
Ter-Petrossian's (LTP) adviser, Levon Zurabian, requested an
urgent meeting with PolChief February 21. Suggesting the
possibility of electronic eavesdropping, Zurabian passed
PolChief a note (text at para 5),which he said was directly
from LTP -- specifically, LTP had dictated the message to
Zurabian in Armenian, who translated and transcribed the note
into English. Zurabian is both a close LTP adviser, and
LTP's designated go-between with the U.S. Embassy.
2. (C) POSSIBLE CLASH/HOPE FOR A SECOND ROUND: Aside from
handing over the note, Zurabian made two points orally.
First, that the campaign had information that authorities
would disrupt the LTP rally planned for 15:00 local that same
day. Second, he alleged that the authorities had
deliberately left open the possibility of modifying the
published results, such that PM Sargsian's results would fall
under the 50 percent threshold, and thus send the election to
a second round. He said they had done this by leaving some
precinct results unverified.
(COMMENT: He was not entirely specific on this point, and we
have no independent evidence that this may be the case.
However, we understand that something much like this happened
during one of President Kocharian's two elections, in which
authorities backed away from an early announcement of an
absolute majority, to announced revised figures below 50
percent, in the face of popular protests. END COMMENT).
3. (C) POSSIBLE MARCH ON FRENCH EMBASSY: We asked Zurabian
some more general questions. He asserted that some 400 LTP
candidate proxies or commission members had been assaulted
and ejected from polling places on election day. He further
asserted the campaign's belief that LTP rightfully won the
election -- not necessarily a majority, but a plurality --
based on reports from candidate representatives in the
polling places early on election night. We asked about
planned marches -- specifically to foreign embassies, based
on a rumor we had heard. Zurabian said there was no firm
plan, but there had been some talk of marching to the French
Embassy, in protest over French President Sarkozy's prompt
congratulations message to PM Sargsian. Nothing had been
said about marching in front of the U.S. Embassy or any
others.
4. (C) RESTRAINT URGED: PolChief urged that all actions be
peaceful, mentioning that both the LTP campaign and
authorities were each to be commended for preserving the
peace during yesterday's rallies and march. Zurabian
reaffirmed that this was the LTP campaign's plan, but
expressed concern that authorities would intervene forcefully.
5. (C) FULL TEXT OF LTP NOTE:
The people are angry. They push us to resort to decisive
actions. We want to keep the movement within the legal
framework and we are intent to continue that way. However,
doing so seems to be difficult, at some point the situation
may go out of control.
The only way out is the second round in the presidential
elections. This will allow keeping the people,s movement
within constitutional confines.
Our request is: to put pressure on the authorities to go this
way. Also, to put pressure on them not to disrupt our
peaceful manifestations, demonstrations
and marches. They will not be able to reject your pressure.
END TEXT
6. (C) COMMENT: We have no wish to be drawn into the
domestic political situation, but it is evident that LTP
hopes for exactly that. Whatever public statement we make is
likely to be seized upon by one side or the other, either to
validate the outcome or to indict it. We see no alternative,
however, but to continue to evaluate this election as
objectively as we can, and letting that analysis guide our
public statements.
PENNINGTON