REPORTS: ARMENIA LIFTS EMERGENCY RESTRICTIONS
Sun Yunlong

Xinhua

March 10 2008
China

MOSCOW, March 10 (Xinhua) — Armenian President Robert Kocharian has
lifted some of the restrictions imposed in the capital Yerevan during
the recent state of emergency, according to reports reaching here.

The president Monday removed a ban on the work of political parties
and other public organizations and deprived the authorities of the
power to expel people who violated the state of emergency, Itar-Tass
said, citing presidential spokesman Viktor Sogomonyan.

Kocharian announced a 20-day state of emergency in Yerevan on March 1,
following clashes between protesters and riot police in which eight
people were killed in the Caucasus state.

Opposition supporters rallied in Yerevan in February to protest
against the outcome of the Feb. 19 presidential election, which
Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan won but the opposition said was rigged,
prompting calls for a rerun.

"There were no violations of the state of emergency regime in Yerevan
since March 1. The domestic political situation is being stabilized,"
Sogomonyan said.