Editing History of Armenia (section)

===Sargsyan presidency (2008–2018)===
[[File:Serj1.jpg|thumb|[[Serzh Sargsyan]]]]
[[Serzh Sargsyan]], then [[Prime Minister of Armenia]] and having President Kocharyan's backing, was viewed as the strongest contender for the post of President of Armenia in the [[2008 Armenian presidential election|February 2008 presidential election]].<ref>[http://www.president.am/library/constitution/eng/?chapter=3 The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia (27 November 2005), Chapter 3: The President of the Republic, Article 50] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015161259/http://www.president.am/library/constitution/eng/?chapter=3 |date=15 October 2008 }}, president.am; accessed 10 December 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2007/09/14/teknatsu|title=ROBERT KOCHARYAN TO SUPPORT SERZH SARGSYAN|author=Helix Consulting LLC|publisher=panorama.am|access-date=10 December 2015}}</ref>

Ter-Petrosyan officially announced his candidacy in the [[2008 Armenian presidential election|2008 presidential election]] in a speech in Yerevan on 26 October 2007. He accused Kocharyan's government of massive corruption, involving the theft of "at least three to four billion dollars" over the previous five years. He was critical of the government's claims of strong economic growth and argued that Kocharyan and his Prime Minister, [[Serzh Sargsyan]], had come to accept a solution to the problem of [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] that was effectively the same solution that he had proposed ten years earlier. A number of opposition parties have rallied behind him since his return to the political arena, including the [[People's Party of Armenia]], led by [[Stepan Demirchyan]]; the Armenian Republic Party, led by [[Aram Sargsyan]];<ref>Emil Danielian and Liz Fuller, [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/11/fc64b5fb-efac-4463-8e9f-13b3d6fd1714.html "Armenian Ex-President Confirms Comeback Plans"], Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1 November 2007.</ref> the [[Social Democrat Hunchakian Party]]; [[Azadakrum]], led by [[Jirair Sefilian]]; the [[New Times Party]]; and the [[Heritage (Armenia)|Heritage Party]], led by [[Raffi Hovannisian]].<ref>[http://www.payqar.org/am/1 Payqar newspaper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310202753/http://www.payqar.org/am/1/ |date=10 March 2008 }}; accessed 10 December 2015.</ref>

[[File:Armenian Presidential Elections 2008 Protest Day 11 - French Embassy Demonstration 430pm general view.jpg|left|thumb|1 March mass protests]]

{{Main|2008 Armenian presidential election protests}}
Final results from the election, which was held on 19 February 2008, officially showed Sargsyan winning about 53% of the vote, and Ter-Petrosyan in second place with 21.5% of the vote.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120215080451/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/20/content_7637405.htm "Sargsyan wins Armenian presidential race"], Xinhua, 20 February 2008.</ref>

Ter-Petrosyan and his supporters accused the government of rigging the election and claimed victory;<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/19/europe/EU-POL-Armenia-Presidential-Election.php "Armenian opposition candidate accuses prime minister of election violations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907111721/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/19/europe/EU-POL-Armenia-Presidential-Election.php |date=7 September 2008 }}, Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 19 February 2008.</ref> beginning 20 February, he led [[2008 Armenian presidential election protests|continuous protests]] involving tens of thousands of his supporters in Yerevan.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/21/europe/EU-POL-Armenia-Presidential-Election.php "Thousands challenge victory of Armenian PM in presidential vote in 2nd day of protests"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015211656/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/21/europe/EU-POL-Armenia-Presidential-Election.php |date=15 October 2008 }}, ''International Herald Tribune'', 21 February 2008.</ref>

On the early morning of 1 March, reportedly acting on evidence of firearms in the camp, the authorities moved in to inspect the tents set up by demonstrators. Law enforcement agents then violently dispersed the hundreds of protestors camped in. Ter-Petrosyan was placed under de facto house arrest, not being allowed to leave his home, though the authorities later denied the allegations.<ref>[http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/03/FFAB3C6D-A75D-4E48-B0D6-5D3A83069160.ASP "Ter-Petrosyan 'Under House Arrest', Rally Broken Up"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123052730/http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/03/FFAB3C6D-A75D-4E48-B0D6-5D3A83069160.ASP |date=23 November 2008 }}, armenialiberty.org, March 2008; accessed 10 December 2015.</ref>

A few hours later, tens of thousands of protestors or more gathered at Miyasnikyan Square to protest the government's act. Police, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd, pulled out. A state of emergency was implemented by President Kocharyan at 5&nbsp;pm, allowing the army to be moved into the capital. By nightfall, a few thousand protesters had barricaded themselves using commandeered municipal buses. As a result of skirmishes with the police, ten people died, including policemen.<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/03/7D25D2BD-9268-4233-A631-BF5F29FD5BCE.html "Armenia: Eight Killed After Clashes Between Police, Protesters"], Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 2 March 2008.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0301/armenia.html|title=State of emergency declared in Armenia|publisher=[[RTÉ News]]|date=1 March 2008|access-date=9 September 2010}}</ref>

This was followed by mass arrests and purges of prominent members of the opposition, as well as a ''de facto ban'' on any further anti-government protests. Sargsyan was recognized as legitimate president<ref name="HRW1">[http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/03/02/armeni18189.htm "Armenia: Police Beat Peaceful Protesters in Yerevan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081111180342/http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/03/02/armeni18189.htm |date=11 November 2008 }}, [[Human Rights Watch]] (NY), 2 March 2008.</ref><ref name="ArmLibMar1a">[http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/03/FFAB3C6D-A75D-4E48-B0D6-5D3A83069160.ASP Ter-Petrosyan 'Under House Arrest,' Rally Broken Up] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123052730/http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/03/FFAB3C6D-A75D-4E48-B0D6-5D3A83069160.ASP |date=23 November 2008 }}, [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]], 1 March 2008.</ref>

On 10 October 2009, the Turkish-Armenian protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations constituted a novelty in Turkish-Armenian relations. Sargsyan accepted the proposal of studying the issue of the Armenian genocide through a commission, and recognized the current Turkish-Armenian border. In 2009–10, the Azerbaijan's military build-up along with increasing war rhetoric and threats risked causing renewed problems in the [[Transcaucasia|South Caucasus]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the General Debate of the 63 rd session of the general assembly |url=http://www.president.am/events/statements/eng/?id=19 |work=President.am |date=25 September 2008 |access-date=11 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017054418/http://www.president.am/events/statements/eng/?id=19 |archive-date=17 October 2008 }}</ref>

In 2011, [[2011 Armenian protests|protests]] erupted in Armenia as part of the [[revolutionary wave]] [[arab Spring|sweeping]] through the [[Middle East]]. Protesters continue to demand an investigation into the 2008 violence, the release of political prisoners, an improvement in socioeconomic conditions, and the institution of democratic reforms. The [[Armenian National Congress]] and [[Heritage (Armenia)|Heritage]] have been influential in organizing and leading protests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/63098|title=Armenia: Opposition Bypasses Police, Stages Rally in Freedom Square|work=EurasiaNet.org|access-date=10 December 2015}}</ref>

Between 1 and 5 April 2016, there were renewed clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces. (see [[2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict|2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes]]).

In March 2018, Sargsyan was re-elected Prime Minister, despite opposition protests.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-opposition-protests-parliament-vote-sarkisian-prime-minister/29172095.html|title=Lawmakers Approve Sarkisian As Armenia's PM Despite Countrywide Protests|website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|language=en|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref> After military forces joined the protests on 23 April, Sargsyan resigned his position.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2018/04/23/armenian-interior-ministry-condemns-soldiers-joining-anti-government-rallies|title=Armenian soldiers join anti-government protests in Yerevan|work=DailySabah|access-date=23 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Armenian PM resigns after protests|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43868433|access-date=23 April 2018|work=BBC News|date=23 April 2018}}</ref> Former Prime Minister [[Karen Karapetyan]] succeeded Sargsyan as acting Prime Minister.

{{Main|2018 Armenian revolution}}