How did the local press react to Wednesday's runoff, and what impressions might the outside world get from what it reads in its newspapers?

Here are headlines and some excerpts of how some locals and some foreigners saw it in Thursday and Friday editions.

Financial Times (news.ft.com). Protests over 'flawed' election in Armenia: ". . . The demonstrations followed one of the tensest presidential races in years and raised concern over stability . . ."

The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) and the The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) ran the same Associated Press story, with the same headline:

Armenia Opposition Charge Election Fraud: ". . . The huge rallies, although peaceful, bruised Armenia's attempts to persuade the international community and investors that it is overcoming its post-Soviet troubles and becoming a stable democracy. . ."

The Post, however, ran a second AP article headlined Armenia's President Kocharian Re-Elected: "Incumbent Robert Kocharian easily won re-election in a presidential runoff seen as a test of Armenia's democracy . . ."

The Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com) had four Armenia-related stories over the past two days. Fraud Seen in Armenia Election: ". . . 'We have very democratic people, but the regime is totally undemocratic. It is built on the clan system,' Telyan said. . ."

And With Vote Over, Armenians Wait for Better Days to Materialize: ". . . moved by some faint stirring of optimism, he voted for incumbent President Robert Kocharyan in Wednesday's second-round poll, explaining that he had seen the president's achievements 'with my own eyes' . . ."

The Moscow Times (www.themoscowtimes.com). Armenia's Kocharyan Wins 2nd Term: " . . . Both camps braced for disturbances . . . Tens of thousands of protesters poured into the center of Yerevan for a series of demonstrations to demand a recount. . ."

Tehran Times (www.tehrantimes.com). Armenia Votes for Presidential Election: ". . . The poll in the impoverished ex-Soviet country has implications for the oil-rich Caspian region as a whole . . ."

International Herald Tribune (www.iht.com). Fraud charged in Armenia vote: ". . . the opposition swore not to recognize the vote, citing fraud and intimidation. . ." (Associated Press)

The Guardian (www.gaurdian.co.uk). Armenian poll result disputed: ". . . International monitors criticized the vote for falling short of standards for open polls . . ." (Associated Press)

Baku Today (www.bakutoday.net). Voting Ends Amid Fraud Allegations: " . . . As one local man put it 'I voted for (reputed Armenian mobster) Gagik Tsarukian, both today and on February 19'."

Local dailies were, naturally, less distant from the flavor of Wednesday's vote and were able to provide Armenian readers with plenty spice in their editorials.

Haykakan Zhamanak (www.hzh.am). Quoting Unity Party head Galust Sahakyan, on the OSCE report criticizing the elections: ". . . People trust more an observer, who I think is not more sensible than us."

Aravot (www.aravot.am). ". . . It would be great for Kocharyan not to have any western observer during the elections, and the violation of citizens of the Republic of Armenia would have been done away from everybody's sight . . ."

Orran (www.orran.am). ". . . Be victorious not over bribery and crime, but democracy, especially and particularly over the people. . ."

Hayastani Hanrapetutyun. ". . . After each elections we face the sad reality that the authorities and political figures have no political culture, in the given situation they have no culture to be beaten . . ."

Azg (www.azg.am). ". . . The margin between the votes is so huge that leaders of the opposition are forced to announce universally about the falsifications and not even feeling that they are extremely two-sided to unwillingly cast suspicion also on the reality of the 503,000 votes that their candidate got."

Hayots Ashkharh. ". . . the preference of the incumbent President in the runoff was so great and evident that all the efforts of the radicals are doomed to fail . . ."