Kocharyan says no necessity to reduce or prolong terms of state of emergency

YEREVAN, March 5. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan believes there is no necessity to reduce or prolong the terms of the state of emergency imposed in Yerevan.

“Before we lift the state of emergency we must be convinced that the unrest is not going to recur. Today there is no such confidence, since the location of those who organized the disturbances is unknown,” Kocharyan told reporters on Wednesday. The president says number one task of the authorities is to find out the location of the organizers especially given the fact that weapons were used against the police.

“We are not yet quite sure that the incidents will not recur,” the president stated.

From February 20 to March 1, Armenia’s opposition political forces led by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrossyan were holding rallies in Liberty Square in Yerevan protesting against the results of February 19 presidential elections attributing victory to Prime Minister Serge Sargssyan.

On March 1 morning, the police dispersed the rally, and the participants moved toward the French Embassy, near the Yerevan Municipality to continue their rally there.

According to the Police, the situation went beyond control and the crowd set to destroy and plunder the government and private buildings in the neighborhood.

On March 1, RA President Robert Kocharyan issued a decree on a state of emergency, the police and the army put an end to the mass unrest. As a result, 131 people were injured, eight were killed and 36 vehicles were burned down. –0—