KARABAKH HOLDS MORE DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS THAN AZERBAIJAN

Armenpress

BAKU, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS; Azerbaijani defense minister Safar Abiyev
urged Thursday a delegation of top US officials to place pressure on
Armenia and force it to give back several Armenian-controlled regions
around Nagorno-Karabakh.

“We want a peaceful resolution of the conflict … For this to
happen Armenia must first of all pull out its troops from Azerbaijani
territories..

Let them not force us to take other measures,” he was quoting as
telling to Charles Wald, deputy commander of US forces in Europe,
Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel and James McDougal, a senior official
of the Department of Defense. Charles Wald said that the US is for
a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Wald was the first US top
official who announced two years ago during a visit to Azerbaijan about
US plans to deploy “movable military bases” in Azerbaijan. Experts
say he may have discussed this issue in Baku Thursday.

In a related development chairman of Nagorno-Karabakh central election
commission, Sergey Nasibian, tossed aside statements in Baku that
the June 19 parliamentary elections are not valid. Nasibian said the
people of Karabakh had settled the issue of their political status
back in 1991 declaring its independence from Azerbaijan.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is a de facto established sovereign state that holds
legitimate presidential, parliamentary and local government elections,”
he said, adding also that preparations for transparent and democratic
June 19 elections go ahead. He also cited international observers’
assessments of previous polls in Karabakh, who described them as
more transparent and fair than polls in Azerbaijan. He then shrugged
off Azerbaijani allegations that polls in Karabakh would jeopardize
efforts for peaceful regulation of the conflict.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress