‘If Mar. 1 were to Repeat’: Why Armenia’s Authorities Thinking About State of Emergency Now

In Heritage Party MP Anahit Bakhshyan‘s opinion, when it comes to the bill on the rule of law during a state of emergency, amended by the Armenian government and again put to the National Assembly for discussion, something just doesn’t smell right.

Recall, the bill regulating the rule of law during a state of emergency allows Armenia’s Armed Forces to interfere in the work of law enforcement agencies to restore order during a state of emergency if police and national security forces are unable to cope with the situation.

“Yesterday, in response to the question ‘If this law was in effect on Mar. 1, 2008, how would events develop?’ RA Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan said he is not very well informed of [the events of] Mar. 1, 2008, and he cannot say. I, as someone who was present during the events of Mar. 1, can say that this law won’t improve anything, if the authorities try a repeat of Mar. 1. Armed forces will again enter [the city] as they did [in 2008], news media outlets will be shut down as they did. There will be a damned situation; there will be manslaughter. Let me be wrong, but this law won’t help so that the events of Mar. 1 are not repeated,” she said.

The opposition MP recalled that head of the parliamentary Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Davit Harutyunyan has said that adoption of the law is too late and it’s because of the upcoming parliamentary elections that discussion of the law will be accelerated.

“If it’s because of the elections that means the authorities are preparing for a state of emergency. It’s a very bad omen,” she said.

Bakhshyan pointed out that a state of emergency is declared when there is an immediate threat to constitutional order in the country, an attempt at violently overthrowing the government is expected, or there are mass disorders. The lawmaker then posed a rhetorical question: “If they’re preparing for elections to run normally [smoothly], then why prepare for brawls?”

“The elections are approaching and the authorities are preparing to say [to the people], ‘Look here, if you want to raise the issue of low incomes, of your rights, and speak of your complaints, I will bring in the army and I’ll withdraw the armed forces against you,” she said.

Recall, mass protests against alleged electoral fraud, organized by supporters of unsuccessful presidential candidate, first president of the Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian, followed the presidential election of Feb. 19, 2008, in Armenia. On Mar. 1, 2008, national police and military forces, called in to disperse the crowds, used “excessive force and violence” which left 10 people dead and many more wounded. The circumstances surrounding this fateful day in Armenia’s history have not yet been uncovered.