ArmenPress
April 1 2004

YEREVAN MAYOR SAYS NO ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL RALLIES COULD BE SANCTIONED

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS: Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakarian
joined today a cohort of government representatives to denounce the
opposition’s plans to stage mass protest rallies to push for
president Kocharian’s resignation, saying the municipality is
concerned over radical announcements, which he said would destabilize
the situation.
Speaking to a news conference, Zakarian said “the revolutionary
calls of the opposition are serious impediments to the municipality’s
plans to go on with a number of major projects aimed to improve the
overall conditions of the city.”
Zakarian argued that mass street protests may eventually lead to
disruption of Yerevan’s economy. “Yerevan municipality cannot remain
indifferent to the aftereffects of such actions, ” he said.
“The municipality has to ensure conditions for implementation of
its plans,… Yerevan needs today political stability and normal
conditions for economy functioning,” he said, adding that the
municipality could not sanction anti-constitutional rallies.