Reports: Armenia's situation under control after riots

MOSCOW, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Authorities have fully resumed control over the situation in the Armenian capital of Yerevan after police cracked down on street protests that claimed eight lives, Russian news agencies reported Monday.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian visited a square in front of the Yerevan mayor's office, which became the arena of clashes between demonstrators and police, the press service of the city police was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

He instructed the mayor to take measures to restore order and a routine functioning of city services as soon as possible, said the report.

Healthcare Minister Artyom Kushkyan said 131 people, including 59 civilians, had been injured in the clashes.

Kushkyan confirmed that eight people had been killed in protests staged by opposition parties over an alleged fraud in the Feb. 19 presidential election in the country.

Kocharian announced a state of emergency in Yerevan Saturday that will remain in effect for 20 days.

Opposition supporters have been rallying in Yerevan to protest the outcome of the presidential election, in which Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan won with 52.8 percent of the vote.

Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who got 21.5 percent of the vote, claimed the vote was rigged and demanded a rerun of the election.