PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN LIFTS STATE OF EMERGENCY
ARMENPRESS
March 20, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian, who ends
his second term in office on April 9, said today he will not extend
the state of emergency which he imposed earlier this month after
opposition protests led to violent clashes with police.
The 20-day state of emergency was declared on March 1 following mass
protests against the February 19 presidential election, which the
opposition claimed was rigged. Eight people died and more than 100
were injured during the disturbances in downtown Yerevan.
"I see no reason to extend the state of emergency in Yerevan. From
tomorrow our capital city will be back to normal state of affairs,"
the outgoing president told a news conference today.
Kocharian said Armenia was always reputed as one of the safest
countries in the world. Now, he said, we all must work to restore
the country’s good name and image.
Kocharian said the post-election developments showed that Armenian
democracy should be safeguarded against demagogy. "We have carried out
economic and public reforms but the experience shows we need to have
clear-cut legislation to protect the foundations of our statehood,"
he said.
He said in Germany people who call for disobedience to law-enforcement
bodies will be sentenced to five years in jail. Kocharian said he
will initiate a legislative bill that would enforce tougher norms
for protection of the statehood’s foundations.
"I must hand over a stable country and government to the next
president. We were not able to prevent the events of March 1 but we
were able to prevent more serious consequences," he said.
Kocharian also warned the opposition against staging new unsanctioned
rallies in Yerevan saying mass assemblies in the capital within next
weeks may pose serious threats to public security.
He said if the warnings are defied then law-enforcement bodies would
respond appropriately and in line with law.