ARMENIA PRESIDENT SAYS NO EARLY END TO STATE OF EMERGENCY

Agence France Presse — English
March 5, 2008 Wednesday 1:18 PM GMT

Armenia’s embattled president said Wednesday he would ignore calls
to lift the state of emergency in the capital and seek to punish
opposition leaders involved in recent clashes.

President Robert Kocharian declared the 20-day state of emergency
in Yerevan on Saturday after eight people died in street battles
between riot police and opposition supporters protesting the result
of a presidential election.

"I do not see any reason for the shortening or for the extension of
the state of emergency," Kocharian told reporters in Yerevan.

"Everyone should get the punishment that he deserves and that in the
first place is the organisers."

The opposition claims the election was rigged to ensure victory for
Serzh Sarkisian, Kocharian’s hand-picked successor.

Kocharian said that the opposition would not be allowed to stage any
mass events even after the state of emergency is lifted.

"Our reaction will be immediate, harsh, so as to avoid any repeat of
such events," Kocharian said.

A mediator from the Western-led Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Tuesday that talks to resolve the
crisis would be impossible until the end of emergency rule, which
bans protests and censors the media.