KOCHARYAN SAYS NO NECESSITY TO REDUCE OR PROLONG TERMS OF STATE OF EMERGENCY

ARKA
March 5, 2008

YEREVAN, March 5. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan believes
there is no necessity to reduce or prolong the terms of the state of
emergency imposed in Yerevan.

"Before we lift the state of emergency we must be convinced that
the unrest is not going to recur. Today there is no such confidence,
since the location of those who organized the disturbances is unknown,"
Kocharyan told reporters on Wednesday. The president says number one
task of the authorities is to find out the location of the organizers
especially given the fact that weapons were used against the police.

"We are not yet quite sure that the incidents will not recur," the
president stated.

>From February 20 to March 1, Armenia’s opposition political forces
led by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrossyan were holding rallies in
Liberty Square in Yerevan protesting against the results of February
19 presidential elections attributing victory to Prime Minister
Serge Sargssyan.

On March 1 morning, the police dispersed the rally, and the
participants moved toward the French Embassy, near the Yerevan
Municipality to continue their rally there.

According to the Police, the situation went beyond control and the
crowd set to destroy and plunder the government and private buildings
in the neighborhood.

On March 1, RA President Robert Kocharyan issued a decree on a state of
emergency, the police and the army put an end to the mass unrest. As
a result, 131 people were injured, eight were killed and 36 vehicles
were burned down.