On the day of the fourth anniversary of March 1 clashes, Sona Ayvazyan, Chair of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center and Arpine Galfayan, Chair of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights were the guests of CivilNet TV. The show focused on tragic event of March 1, given that its circumstances were not detected and the perpetrators were not punished. The guests of the show talked on the reasons, outcomes and solution of March 1 events, addressing the amended version of the bill on the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency adopted by the National Assembly of Armenia in the first reading, which implies army's participation in the political process during the state of emergency.

To the mind of Sona Ayvazyan making so hasty amendments in the draft law could have been caused only by the forthcoming elections. In the opinion of numerous experts the bill is considered anti-constitutional since the army should stay out of domestic affairs. The fact that the bill was adopted on March 1 shows that the Armenian authorities do not exclude repetition of the clashes and to a larger extend it is simply a precautionary arrangement, since they are ready to take any measure in order to preserve their power.

Sona Ayvazyan is of the opinion that March 1 happened when elections of February 19, 2008 were marred by fraud and the people, unwilling to content with the falsifications, staged public outcry - went out into the streets and stayed in Liberty Square for ten days. Twenty days after announcing the state of emergency they once again went out into the streets. Hundreds of people were taken to police stations. However the protesters did not calm down since they did not want to content with rigged results.

Having no other leverage to preserve the administration, the authorities settled the matter by using force. Today the authorities are not ready to hold fair and free elections since they will not be able to get enough votes to preserve today's majority and would have to falsify the elections. In the opinion of Sona Ayvazyan, March 1 would not have happened should the incumbent and the former Presidents made adequate decisions.

The authorities should play a role of allowing fair and free elections. However, today's authorities are not ready to concede their power. Therefore in order to exclude further March 1-s the opposition should be more active and the public should be more organized.

On March 1 the position of police was changed in public perception. On the one hand police officers carried out the wishes and actions of the regime; on the other hand they seemed to be scapegoats in the sense that people wreaked their discontent and anger on their heads.

Sona Ayvazyan is convinced that the public managed to acquire certain knowledge, and in some cases, for instance regarding freedom of assembly, it seemed that public representatives were more aware of the law than police officers, and sometimes police officers seemed to carry out orders without acknowledging their illegality. Today the actions of police are addressed not on enforcement of law but on protection of the authorities. Political will is needed to refuse that practice. To refuse applying that practice may mean breach of their position, which unfortunately is impossible.

Summing up the show, its host Arpi Makhsudyan expressed disbelief in the political will of the authorities, however hoping that the people would manifest political will in verifying their votes and would not allow the repetition of March 1. They would protect their right to free and fair election on May 6 and during next elections.