Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of February 18-24

Presidential election in Armenia, won by Serzh Sargsyan; resignation of government heads of the Stavropol Territory and Volgograd Region; exit of the "Anji" FC from Dagestan to the 1/8-final of Europa League and its victory in the Premium "National Football Olympus"; arrest in absentia by Moscow court of the Georgian MP Givi Targamadze; deprivation of Oleg Mikheev, MP from Volgograd, of his Deputy's immunity, – look these and other events in the Caucasus in the review of the week of February 18-24, 2013, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan wins presidential election

On February 18, Armenia opened 1988 polling stations for 2.5 million registered voters, who came to vote for one of seven candidates to the post of the country's president. The total voter turnout made 60.05%. Under the outcomes of tabulation of the ballots from 100% polling stations, the incumbent president of the country Serzh Sargsyan won 58.64% of votes; the former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Armenia Raffi Ovannisyan received 36.75%. The third place was taken by Grant Bagratyan with 2.15%. Paruir Airikyan received 1.23% of votes; Andreas Gukasyan – 0.57%; Vardan Sedrakyan – 0.42%, and Arman Melikyan – 0.24% of votes.

Supporters of a number of presidential candidates in Armenia stated multiple violations in the course of the election. This opinion was supported by the Helsinki Committee of Armenia. Telephone calls reporting about violations were also received by the office of the national Ombudsman. In the course of voting monitoring, local observers fixed facts of throw-in of ballots and bribing the electorate. However, according to international observers, the election in Armenia passed, in general, without violations.

After the voting, Raffi Ovannisyan expressed his disagreement with the election outcomes. Speaking in Yerevan at a rally on February 20, he stated that all his and his supporters' further actions should pursue the legal recognition of his victory at the presidential election and punishment of all those involved in falsifying the outcomes. On February 21, a meeting took place of Serzh Sargsyan with Raffi Ovannisyan. Mr Ovannisyan later told that he had suggested Mr Sargsyan "to punish all those guilty of mass falsifications," and offered to "hold new parliamentary elections exclusively under the proportional system." According to Ovannisyan, all his proposals were rejected by the president. On February 22, another rally took place, where Ovannisyan again called the audience to fight to the end for their rights and "for the votes stolen at the election."

Stavropol Territory and Volgograd Region: local premiers resign

On February 21, Governor of the Stavropol Territory Valery Zerenkov accepted an own-will resignation of the chairman of the regional government Yuri Tyrtyshov, who took the post in July 2012. Ivan Kovalyov was appointed to be the acting head of the government of the Stavropol Territory; earlier he was a Deputy Premier.

Last week, Konstantin Khramov, Chair of the Government of the Volgograd Region also applied for own-will resignation; he had taken the post last March. His resignation was accepted by Governor Sergey Bozhenov on February 19. On the following day, Deputies of the Volgograd Regional Duma approved Oleg Persanov as the head of the regional government.

Dagestani FC becomes laureate of the Prize "National Football Olympus" and qualifies for 1/8-final of Europa League

The Football Club (FC) "Anji" became a laureate of the Russian Sports Premium "National Football Olympus", founded with the aim to promote football and other sports; it was initiated by the Centre of Cultural Programmes named "Russian Line". The club was called the best football project of 2012; its owner Suleiman Kerimov was awarded for development of sports in the country, while the forward of the team Samuel Eto'O was recognized the top star of the Russian championship. The awarding ceremony of the "National Football Olympus" was held on February 21 at the Moscow "President-Hotel".

On that very day, the "Anji" FC won its way to the 1/8-final of Europa League, having played a draw in the response of the 1/16-final with the "Hannover-96" in Germany.

Georgian MP Targanadze arrested in absentia by Moscow court

On February 21, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow arrested in absentia Givi Targamadze, a Georgian parliamentarian, who was made, as it became known on February 14, a suspect in the criminal case about mass disorders in Russia and put on the Russia's wanted list. The ruling of the Basmanny Court was sent to the police for organizing his international search, said the official spokesman of the ICRF Vladimir Markin. Targanadze himself, who denies all the presented charges, is confident that Russia will not be able to restrict his international voyages.

Oleg Mikheev from Volgograd deprived of Deputy's immunity

On February 19, the State Duma of the Russian Federation ruled – by majority of votes – to deprive Oleg Mikheev, an MP from the "Spraveldivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party from Volgograd, of his Deputy's immunity and thus sanctioned initiation of a criminal case and attracting him as a suspect of a fraud, which had been petitioned by the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) and the General Public Prosecutor's Office. Mikheev denies all the charges; he was supported by the Volgograd regional branch of his party.