Levon Ter-Petrosyan

Levon Ter-Petrosyan, whose term began in 1991, was the first president of the Republic of Armenia,. Although he was forced to step down in 1998 and remained out of the political spotlight for almost a decade, he was an official candidate in the 2008 Armenian Presidential Elections. With 21.5% of the popular vote, Ter-Petrosyan came in second to Serzh Sargsyan.

Fast Facts

1. Born: January 9, 1945 in Aleppo, Syria
2. Political party: Pan-Armenian National Movement (ANM)
3. First president of Armenia
4. Presidential term: October 16, 1991 to February 3, 1998
5. Second place candidate in the 2008 Armenian Presidential Elections
6. Holds a doctorate and is an active research scholar
7. Received an honorary doctorate from the University of La Verne

Key Dates

1. October 16, 1991: First president-elect of newly-indepedent Republic of Armenia
2. September 22, 1996: Re-elected as president
3. February, 1998: Forced to step down due to diplomatic controversy with Azerbaijan
4. October 26, 2007: Returns to politics by delivering a speech on the 16th anniversary of Armenian independence
5. February 19, 2008: Ter-Petrosyan comes in second in the 2008 Armenian Presidential Elections
6. February 20, 2008: Claiming electoral fraud, Ter-Petrosyan leads protests in Yerevan

Stirring Up Controversy

Ter-Petrosyan's term as the first president of Armenia came to a controversial end after he granted concessions to Azerbaijan, sparking a diplomatic scandal. The public felt that he had undermined national security and he was forced to step down in 1998. When he returned to politics in 2007, he was popularly supported in the presidential elections.

Post-Election Conflict

After Ter-Petrosyan came in second to Serzh Sargsyan, he accused the government of electoral fraud and led tens of thousands in public protests for over a week in Yerevan, the nation's capital. A state of emergency was imposed and eight people were killed.

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