Armenia leader refuses to quit

MOSCOW (Reuter) - The Armenian President, Levon Ter Petrosian, yesterday accused his opponents of attempting a coup and rejected their demands to resign.

Mr Ter Petrosian, fighting for political survival after Armenian defeats in the undeclared war against Azerbaijan, told parliament he had no intention of stepping down. Reports from Yerevan, the capital of the former Soviet republic, said the President proposed holding a referendum on his leadership.

But a presidential spokesman said that parliament had rejected Mr Ter Petrosian's offer.

The call for the President's resignation came as demonstrators staged a third day of protests outside parliament.