Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanyan Says President Ready To Declare S

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanyan Says President Ready To Declare S

    ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS PRESIDENT READY TO DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY

    Mediamax
    March 1 2008
    Armenia

    Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has warned that President
    Robert Kocharyan may be forced to introduce astate of emergency,
    the Mediamax news agency reported on 1 March.

    Referring to the situation near the French embassy in Yerevan where
    thousands of opposition supporters havereportedly gathered and are
    building barricades, Oskanyan told a briefing in the presidential
    administration, "All the decrees are ready, and if the leader of the
    demonstrators fails to bring them to order, then the head of state
    will be forced to declare a state of emergency."

    Oskanyan denied that police had used excessive force when dispersing
    a rally by supporters of former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan on
    Yerevan's Freedom Square early on 1 March. Mediamax quoted Oskanyan
    as saying that the firstcolumn of police officers who entered the
    square were seeking to confirm reports that large quantities of arms
    andexplosives were stored there. Oskanyan said that special police
    forces were forced to clear the square after the firstcolumn was
    attacked by demonstrators. "The use of force was proportionate in
    character, and this is demonstrated bythe absence of serious injuries,"
    he said.

    Oskanyan quoted Health Ministry information that 31 people had sought
    hospital treatment including six policeofficers, and none of the
    injuries were life threatening.

    Ter-Petrosyan's supporters had been rallying on Freedom Square for ten
    days, protesting the result of the 19February presidential election,
    which they said was rigged by the authorities.

    Oskanyan also denied reports that Ter-Petrosyan himself is under
    house arrest. Mediamax quoted him as saying thatTer-Petrosyan is
    guarded by officers of the State Guard Service of Armenia.

    "Considering that the actions of Ter-Petrosyan's supporters are
    now out of control, the State Guard Serviceof Armenia cannot allow
    the ex-president to be present where his security cannot be fully
    protected," he said.

    Oskanyan said that if Ter-Petrosyan refuses in writing the services
    of the State Guard Service, he would have"full freedom of action".

    Oskanyan said that the country's image had already been damaged,
    Mediamax reported. "Now it is necessary tomake efforts to get
    out of this situation with minimum losses," he said, adding
    that political dialogue was theonly option for resolving the
    situation. "I am authorized to state that the offer of cooperation
    made bypresident-elect Serzh Sargsyan referred to all the presidential
    candidates," he said.

    Oskanyan also said that he had discussed the situation in Armenia with
    the European Union's specialrepresentative for the South Caucasus,
    Peter Semneby, by phone today.

    "Peter Semneby was in Armenia last week and his main message was a
    call for dialogue which remains in forcetoday," he said. He did not
    rule out that Semneby would visit Yerevan.
Working...
X