US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2374

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002374 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, ASEC, AM 
SUBJECT:  OPPOSITION RALLY DRAWS ONLY LUKEWARM 
RESPONSE 
 
 
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
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SMALL RALLY, NO EXCITEMENT 
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2. (SBU) Roughly 1500 opposition supporters gathered 
October 26 in Opera Square for an authorized rally 
timed to coincide with commemorative events 
surrounding the anniversary of the October 27, 1999 
parliamentary murders.  Although rally organizers 
had significantly improved some of their logistical 
arrangements since their spring rallies (i.e., had a 
sound system that actually worked, had two dozen 
young supporters in matching T-shirts and banners 
all with the same "no more terrorism" message), they 
failed to generate any excitement in the crowd, 
which consisted largely of middle-aged men and a 
handful of sunflower seed vendors. 
 
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EVEN SMALLER MARCH TO LAY FLOWERS UNEVENTFUL 
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3. (SBU) Following some dozen speeches linking the 
1999 parliamentary killings to more recent terrorist 
acts in Moscow (the 2002 Nord-Ost hostage taking) 
and Beslan, approximately 300-500 opposition 
supporters marched from Opera Square to the National 
Assembly (located across the street from the U.S. 
Embassy) to lay a wreath and flowers in memory of 
the "October 27" victims.  Although the march was 
officially unauthorized, the police did not 
interfere and the march proceeded without incident. 
National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian and his 
Deputy Speakers met the senior members of the 
delegation at the gate and escorted about 30 
opposition leaders and victims' family members to 
the memorial on the National Assembly grounds.  The 
remainder of the marchers placed their flowers along 
the fence surrounding the National Assembly grounds 
and dispersed without incident. 
 
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COMMENT:  OPPOSITION FINDING NO TRACTION 
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4. (SBU) The authorities displayed restraint and did 
not interfere with the small, unauthorized march. 
The governing coalition's decision to have National 
Assembly leaders cooperate with and participate in 
the opposition's wreath-laying (with wide television 
coverage) underscored the possibility for future 
cooperation.  With such minimal public support, the 
opposition may well follow through on some of its 
hints that it might suspend the parliamentary 
boycott and get back into the process of reforming 
Armenia's constitution (on the National Assembly's 
agenda this winter). 
EVANS