PACE RAPPORTEUR URGES ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO LIFT STATE OF EMERGENCY IN YEREVAN

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Presidential Bulletin
March 11, 2008
Russia

John Prescott (United Kingdom), Rapporteur for the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the Armenian elections,
welcomed Armenian authorities decision to drop two paragraphs in
the decree on the state of emergency in Yerevan, the PACE office in
Yerevan told Interfax.

"I especially welcome the statement on canceling the paragraph
restricting the operation of political parties, concerning which I
made a special call during my visit to Armenia last week. Now I call
on the Armenian authorities to drop the remaining paragraphs of the
state of emergency, in particular those restricting the freedom of
the media," he said.

"The only way to resolve the current crisis is to recognize the
decision of the Constitutional Court on the presidential election,
lifting the state of emergency and restoration of the freedoms and
human rights as well as independent investigation of the circumstances
that led to the events of March 1.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed on March 1 the decree on
the introduction of a state of emergency for 20 days in connection
with the actions of the opposition that protested the results of the
presidential election in which Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan had won.

On March 10, Kocharian adopted a decree mitigating the state of
emergency. The first cancelled paragraph restricted the activity of
parties and political organizations. The second cancelled paragraph
concerns deportation of non-residents of Yerevan at their own expense
or at the expense of the budget with further repayment of these sums
by the deported persons.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress