Azerbaijan, Baku 4 March / corr Trend K.Ramazanova / The OSCE has urged the Armenian authorities to lift the state of emergency as soon as possible.
The President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, decreed on 2 March to impose a State of Emergency for 20 days after demonstrations by the opposition protesting against the false outcome of the election which lasted many days and flared into a confrontation with the police. According to the Health Ministry of Armenia of 3 March, the number of those injured during the clashes in Yerevan on 1 and 2 March totaled 131 with 8 people having been shot dead.
"The events on Saturday, 1 March, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency, were very serious and tragic," Heikki Talvitie, the special representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, who is currently visiting Yerevan, told Trend via E-mail.
According to Talvitie there is a need meaningful political dialogue involving all actors to find a solution, and such a dialogue is not possible as long as the state of emergency remains in place.
Lifting the state of emergency is necessary for normal political life to resume, he said.
The OSCE is ready to support Armenia as it seeks to create conditions that would enable the situation to become normal, Talvitie said.