Published since 1951
Published on December 14, 2006
Opposition Party Reports Arson Attack
- A small political party opposed to Armenia’s leadership said on Thursday that unknown individuals have tried to set fire to its headquarters in Yerevan, demanding a criminal investigation it what it considers an arson attack. Hovannes Hovannisian, the leader of the Liberal Progressive Party (AAK) claimed that the assailants poured petrol on the office door and set it ablaze the previous night. He said residents of the apartment block housing the ground floor office were quick to notice and put out the fire. Police inspected the scene shortly after being informed about the incident. An official inquiry was underway on Thursday. Hovannisian would not speculate on who may have been behind the reported arson attack, saying only that it was politically motivated. “We are engaged in politics only,” he told RFE/RL. “There is nothing else we do. Therefore, this action is directed at our political activities.” As well as opposing President Robert Kocharian, the AAK has a staunchly pro-Western agenda that calls for Armenia’s eventual withdrawal from a Russian-led military pact and accession to NATO and the European Union. It holds no seats in the current Armenian parliament, but is an active member of a recently formed coalition of opposition parties campaigning against what they see as a growing presence of “criminal elements” in government. Hovannisian supported Kocharian and headed the foreign relations committee of the previous National Assembly before joining the opposition camp in 2003. His party has been in talks with other, larger pro-Western opposition groups over the formation of a new anti-government alliance ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. (Photolur photo: Hovannes Hovannisian.)
- By Ruzanna Stepanian
Headlines for December 14, 2006
Yerevan Hints At Iran Pipeline Delay
By Karine Kalantarian
The Armenian government on Thursday stopped short of explicitly denying reports that the ongoing work on a major natural gas pipeline from Iran will not be complete, as planned, by the end of this month. ...PACE To Demand Free Elections In Armenia
By Emil Danielyan
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will likely demand that Armenia “at last” hold elections recognized as democratic by the international community when it meets for a regular ...Opposition Party Reports Arson Attack
By Ruzanna StepanianA small political party opposed to Armenia’s leadership said on Thursday that unknown individuals have tried to set fire to its headquarters in Yerevan, demanding a criminal investigation it what it considers ...
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Today in Armenian history- 1802 Birth of Hakob Manvelyan (educator) in Caesaria (Western Armenia). He died in 1870.
- 1825 Decembrist rebellion in St. Petersburg (Russia).
- 1825 Birth of Stepan Voskanyan (public figure) in Smyrna. He died in 1901.
- 1846 The Transcaucasian administrative districts are altered to create the provinces of Tbilissi, Kutais, Shamakhoo, and Derbend.
- 1861 Founding of the Eastern Theatre in Constantinople. M. Nalbandian delivers one of the inaugural speeches.
- 1913 Germany sends its military delegation to Turkey, headed by General Liman von Sanders.
- 1919 The Bolsheviks in OOzoonlar meet the peasants of Loree's "Neutral Zone" and declare their intent to be rid of landowners. They substitute land administration committees.
- 1922 Birth of Gohar Gasparyan (singer) in Cairo (Egypt).
- 1929 Death of Mesrop Nooparyan (linguist, translator) in Marseilles (France). He was born in 1842 in Smyrna.
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