ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES WILL NOT ALLOW OPPOSITION RALLY AFTER STATE OF EMERGENCY IS LIFTED

Regnum
March 12 2008
Russia

President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has called a statement of
Levon Ter-Petrosyan of his intention to hold a rally the next day
after the emergency state in Yerevan is lifted "a provocation." "One
has to be a troublemaker to take the same steps. Some people may
welcome new clashes and victims, but authorities will not allow that,
especially since Article 40 of the Constitution provides us with all
necessary legal foundation for that," Kocharyan stated while talking
to journalists on March 12.

According to the Armenian president, the authorities are not going
to allow holding a rally, if they receive such request. "Imagine if
we allow holding a meeting, and both people who participated in the
riot and clashes with the police and law enforcement officers gather
together on one spot. I just don’t see what their ‘communication’
will be like."

The president has also advised citizens to avoid such events for
some time.

Regarding the state of emergency regime and prospects of its lifting
before the term announced on March 1, Robert Kocharyan has commented
that today, there are no reasons for prolonging the state of emergency
after March 20. "The situation in the city is quiet and entirely
under control," Kocharyan noticed. He has added that already today
or tomorrow, he is going to sanction lifting several more state of
emergency provisions, in particular, those limiting the media activity.

The decree, Kocharyan has said, will clearly define action that should
be avoided by the media, particularly, publishing deliberately false
and inciting information.