ARMENIAN PRESIDENT READY TO EASE STATE OF EMERGENCY
RIA Novosti
March 12 2008
Russia
YEREVAN, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – Outgoing Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said on Wednesday he was prepared to ease the state of
emergency regime imposed on March 1 in Yerevan after protests over
recent presidential election results.
Eight people were killed and over 130 wounded in Armenia’s capital
on March 1 in clashes between police and supporters of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, who was defeated by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan in
the February 19 vote. Sarkisyan gained 52.8% of the vote against his
rival’s 21.5%. Protesters said the polls were rigged.
"This evening or tomorrow morning I’ll sign a decree to change the
approach. Under the current state of emergency we indicate what may
be done, while the new decree will indicate what may not be done,"
Kocharyan said.
The state of emergency in Yerevan is expected to last until March 20.
Meanwhile, Sarkisyan reiterated that he had won the presidential
election fairly.
"I believe that I won an honest victory at the presidential election,
all the more so as I received the people’s trust at the parliamentary
election [in May 2007]," he said.
The Republican Party led by Sarkisyan received 65 out of 131 seats
in the Armenian parliament last year.