Nagorno-Karabakh to hold parliamentary election June 19.

05.03.2005, 21.39

YEREVAN, March 5 (Itar-Tass) — The unrecognised Republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh will hold a parliamentary election on June 19,
according to a decree signed on Saturday by the leader of this
predominantly Armenian populated enclave in Azerbaijan, Arkady Gukasyan.

It will be the fourth legislative election in Nagorno-Karabakh that was
proclaimed in 1991 and that has been pressing for the international
recognition of its independence from Azerbaijan ever since.

Nagorno-Karabakh has not been recognised by any country, including
Armenia that helps it military, economically, politically, and
diplomatically.

Meanwhile, the Minsk Group of the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is continuing the search for ways to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The group is co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States.

Stepanakert says that only popularly elected authorities can act on
behalf of the Nagorno-Karabakh people and conduct negotiations on the
resolution of the conflict.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan believes the optimal status for
Nagorno-Karabakh would be `independence in the foreseeable future’ and
`a part of Armenia in the long term’.

The present Nagorno-Karabakh parliament was elected on June 18, 2000. It
consists of 33 members elected in majoritarian constituencies for five
years.

The president is the chief executive in Nagorno-Karabakh. He is elected
by the population for five years.

As of January 1, 2005, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh was 146,600.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress