TENSE PRE-ELECTION SITUATION IN ARMENIA.

Journalists in both Moscow andYerevan charged that Armenian authorities had closed the Russian-languagepaper Golos Armenii for political purposes, as part of a broader effort byPresident Ter-Petrosyan to expand his own power by stifling the opposition,the Armenian press reported May 16. Concerns that the opposition may not havea genuine opportunity to compete were also fueled by reports that oppositionleaders had been beaten, that an accused “Dro” terrorist organization memberhad died while in custody, and that Ter-Petrosyan had named a new nationalsecurity chief. Several important political parties have said they will notparticipate in the voting, and on May 17 Noyan Tapan reported that thecountry’s Kurds had backed out of the elections as well.

Pipelines And Pipedreams.