MARCH 21 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Anti-government protesters in Armenia may draw inspiration from revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East but their demonstrations are very different in character.

This year protests in Armenia have grown steadily and on March 17 roughly 10,000 people occupied Freedom Square, Yerevan’s main square. Protesters have promised a revolution unless President Serzh Sargsyan calls an election. They accuse him of nepotism and corruption, allegations he denies.

But unlike the Tunisia and Egypt uprisings these protests are neither leaderless nor spontaneous.

Opposition groups in Armenia and their leaders are well established. Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a former president and heads the Armenian National Congress. His fiery speeches have whipped up anti-government sentiment.

He is not the only opposition leader. The US-born Raffi Hovannisyan is a member of parliament and leader of the more moderate Heritage Party.

Hovannisian started a hunger strike in Freedom Square on March 15. Two days later the protesters occupied the square but Ter-Petrosyan and Hovannisyan avoided speaking to one another, a visible sign of their disagreements. These divisions weaken the opposition.

The protesters and their demands also appear rooted to 2008 when Mr Sargsyan won a disputed election victory and 8 demonstrators died in a clash with the security forces.

Armenia’s next presidential election is set for 2013 and Mr Sargsyan has already said he will stand.