Armenian president sworn in amid protests

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian President Serge Sarkisian has been sworn in for another five-year term to lead the small former Soviet republic amid street protests by his opponents.

Sarkisian easily won February's election with nearly 59 percent of the vote, but his opponents, American-born runner-up Raffi Hovanessian, who won 37 percent of the vote, has called the election rigged, went on hunger strike, and led protests calling for Sarkisian to step down.

International monitors said the election "lacked competition" but did not question its legitimacy. A judge rejected Hovanessian's appeal against the result last month.

Thousands of Hovanessian's supporters gathered in the capital to protest the inauguration.