Armenia declares state of emergency

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenian President Robert Kocharyandeclared a state of emergency in the capital on Saturday as hesought to end protests over a presidential election which theopposition says was rigged.

A statement from the presidential press service saidKocharyan had signed a decree declaring the state of emergencyuntil March 20 "to prevent a threat to constitutional order".

Earlier, riot police fired in the air and used teargas in abid to disperse an opposition rally in Yerevan, scene of streetprotests over a February 19 presidential election which electedan ally of Kocharyan as president.

The crowd of at least 5,000 opposition supporters massed inan area near the mayor's office after a 10-day sit-in wasbroken up by baton-wielding police in the early hours.

Later sporadic shooting erupted from the area and thiscorrespondent saw red and yellow tracer rounds in the sky.

A protester in the crowd, reached by mobile telephone,said: "They (the police) shot in the air to scare us. They havefired tear gas. But people are standing firm. There arethousands of people standing here with us."

Hundreds of policemen in full riot gear cordoned off thearea where several embassies are located.

Some protesters near the mayor's office held crowbars andmetal rods. Some others protesters decanted fuel from the busesinto bottles.

The opposition, led by former president LevonTer-Petrosyan, says the election of Prime Minister SerzhSarksyan as president was fraudulent.

Disputed presidential elections sparked mass unrest in twoother former Soviet republics, Georgia and Ukraine, thatultimately toppled two long-serving leaders.

The unrest risks destabilising Armenia, an ex-Sovietrepublic of 3.22 million people in the Caucasus mountains thatis now emerging as a key transit route for oil and gas suppliesfrom the Caspian Sea to world markets.

Several thousand opposition supporters have been protestingdaily in the capital's Freedom Square since Sarksyan waselected.

Armenia's State Guard Service told local Mediamax agency ithad effectively placed Ter-Petrosyan -- the first presidentafter independence from the Soviet Union who ran againstSarksyan -- under house arrest.

"Otherwise, the State Guard Service is unable to bearresponsibility for the safety of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, since itcannot accompany him to illegal events," the service said.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,referring to police action against the earlier sit-in, said it"condemned the use of force against peaceful demonstrators" andurged the authorities "to use maximum restraint."

COUP ATTEMPT?

Police said they moved in after receiving information acoup was being prepared. They said they had seized pistols andgrenades. The opposition denied the charges and said it wasusing only peaceful means.

"Permission or no permission (from the authorities), wewill all the same press ahead with protests, because ralliesand marches can only be banned when there is a state ofemergency," Ter-Petrosyan told reporters.

"I am deeply convinced that even if Sarksyan stays on, hewon't be a legitimate president," he said.

Police said they had used force after protesters startedthrowing stones and metal rods at them. "Calls for a violentcoup were heard," the police statement said.

Armenia's Health Ministry said 31 people, including sixpolicemen, had been admitted to hospital after the clashes.

Landlocked Armenia is still officially at war withneighbouring Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.Oil and gas pipelines operated by a BP-led consortium runthrough Azeri territory a few km (miles) from the conflictzone.

Ter-Petrosyan launched the protests after alleging Sarksyanhad used ballot-stuffing and intimidation to steal victory.Western observers called the vote broadly fair.

(Writing by Dmitry Solovyov and Richard Balmforth; Editingby Jon Boyle)