ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT ALTERS STATE OF EMERGENCY IN YEREVAN
ARKA
March 12, 2008
YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian plans to
lift certain items of the emergency situation in Yerevan. "Tonight
or tomorrow morning I will sign a decree on altering the state of
emergency," the President said. "The current decree specifies what
is permissible, while the new one will specify what is banned."
Kocharian said the restrictions will be minor ones and will mainly
concern provocative activities and misinformation.
The President assured that journalists that mass media will be free
to express their opinion. "They should just be more careful and give
only reliable information," Kocharian said. The President called on
mass media to have a sense of responsibility and avoid threatening
the country’s stability.
Since February 20 rallies, sit-ins and student walkouts had been
held by the opposition leader RA ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian in
the center of Yerevan. The protesters accused Kocharian’s ally and
Prime Minister Serge Sargsian of rigging the presidential election
last month.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency on
March 1 after a day of clashes between police and protesters.
According to the decree, publications of mass media concerning state
and internal political issues can be implemented solely within the
limits of the official information of state bodies.