PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION COMING UP

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
01 June 05

The parliamentary election to be held on June 19 is truly in the
focus of attention of the society of Nagorno Karabakh. Because
of the disputed issue of Nagorno Karabakh the upcoming election
has acquired both home and foreign political importance. Like
in other democratic countries, in Nagorno Karabakh elections are
held by general, equal and secret ballot. Before 2004, the order
of holding elections was maintained by the law on NKR President,
the law on Election to NKR National Assembly, and the law on local
authorities. In December 2004 the Electoral Code of NKR was adopted,
which includes all the laws on election. The law on Election to NKR
National Assembly was first adopted in 1994. In 2000 the new law on
parliamentary elections was adopted, with improved basic principles
of the former law in accordance with the European and international
standards. The electoral code adopted in 2004 modified the electoral
legislation. According to Article 32 of the Electoral Code, before
the election central, district and local election committees are set
up. Before the enactment of the electoral code, according to Article 41
of the law on Election to NKR National Assembly, the Central Election
Committee consisted of 9 members of which three were appointed
by the head of state. One of the three members appointed by the
president was to be a representative of one of the political parties
of NKR. Three members appointed by the National Assembly were chosen
from among the political alliances and public movements represented
in the parliament, choosing only one representative from a political
party. The other three members of the committee were appointed by the
government. Besides, the Central Election Committee was set up for
five years, 69 days before the election. After the enactment of the
Electoral Code, the Central Election Committee is set up again for five
years but 40 days before the election. The president appoints three
members of the committee. One member is appointed by the political
parties and alliances which have political factions in the National
Assembly. If the number of the political parties and alliances
which have factions in the National Assembly is not above three,
each political party appoints two members of the Central Election
Committee. If the political party or the alliance having faction in the
National Assembly does not nominate a candidate before the last day of
constituting the Central Election Committee, the members are chosen
from among the members of other factions. At present two political
parties – the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and
the Democratic Party of Artsakh (formerly Democratic Union Artsakh)
– have factions in the National Assembly. The Central Election
Committee of NKR consists of seven members, three appointed by the
president, and two by ARF and the Democratic Party each. The order of
constituting district committees has been changed as well. According
to Article 42 of the former law on Election to NKR National Assembly,
the district committees were set up by the regional administrations and
municipalities, the members were chosen from the staffs of businesses
and organizations, members of political parties and NGOs. According
to the new Electoral Code, district election committees are set up
in the same way as the Central Election Committee: three members are
appointed by the head of state, the political parties and alliances,
which have parliamentary factions, appoint one member each.

The next essential innovation is that for the first time the candidates
stand for parliament on party tickets as well. 22 candidates have been
nominated under the majority system, and 11 on party tickets. Before
all the 33 members of parliament were elected under the majority
system. The number of the seats in the National Assembly has been
considerably reduced since 1992. In the Supreme Soviet of first
convocation there were 81 members of parliament. At present there are
22 electoral districts in NKR (equal to the number of the candidates
standing for parliament under the majority system). Stepanakert
is divided into 8 electoral districts, the region of Martuni 4,
the region of Hadrut 3, Martakert 3, Askeran 2, the regions of
Shahumian and Kashatagh 1. There is more than one polling station in
each electoral district. The majority of polling stations are again
in Stepanakert. The number of polling stations in Stepanakert is
23. According to the Electoral Code, the number of voters registered at
one polling station should not be more than 2000. Thus, serious changes
have been made to the NKR electoral laws for the sake of transparency
of elections, the evidence to which is the changes in the order of
constituting election committees on all the levels. The new law does
not provide for any role of the local authorities and the government in
setting up committees. Today we may state that the election committees
are formed by elective institutions (president and parliament) and
not appointive bodies (ministers, regional administrations).

The changes which at first seem to have a formal character play
an essential political role. For example, they make it difficult,
if not impossible, to engage administrative resources to influence
polls. Changes in legislation, as well as fundamental changes
in the home policy of the republic, resulting from the powerful
democratic wave after the well-known events of 1999 – 2000, had a
direct influence on the society and turnout in elections. The period
preceding the upcoming election can be regarded as the most active
of all the previous elections in the history of NKR. Currently,
167 candidates run for the election, 115 under the majority system,
and 81 on party tickets. In the election in 2000 113 candidates were
registered, 88 are independent candidates and 25 were nominated by
political parties. In 1995 the total number of candidates was 81.

The number of candidates has increased 1.4 times since the previous
election to the National Assembly. 75.5 per cent of the members of
parliament of the present National Assembly will again stand for
parliament both under the majority system (49 per cent or 16) and
on party tickets. In the capital of NKR, Stepanakert, the number of
candidates from each electoral district is 10, in the regions the
number of candidates from each electoral district is 4 or 5. The
increase in the number of candidates once again confirms that there
is democratic environment in the home policy of NKR. 54 candidates
running for the election under the majority system (47 per cent)
represent different political parties. 61 candidates (53 per cent)
are independent candidates. The picture of nomination on party tickets
is the following: the political alliance Dashnaktsutyun – Union 88 –
18 candidates (6 were simultaneously nominated under the majority
system), Azat Hayrenik Party – 17 candidates (9), NKR Communist
Party – 10 candidates (4), Mer Tun’ Hayastan Party – 4 candidates
(3), Social Justice Party 4 candidates (1), Baroyakan Veratsnund –
3 candidates. The political parties also stand for parliament under
the majority system. The picture is the following: Dashnaktsutyun –
Movement 88 – 20 candidates, NKR Communist Party – 12, Democratic
Party of Artsakh – 10, Azat Hayrenik Party – 9, Mer Tun’ Hayastan
Party – 4, Social Justice Party – 1, Armenakan Party – 1.

To make forecasts on the staff of the future National Assembly would
mean contradicting to the law. Nevertheless, we would like to point
out that it would not be correct to think that the new parliament
will be formed of the members of a certain political party. As it was
mentioned above, the number of candidates, representing a political
party, nominated under the majority system constitutes 47 per cent
of all the candidates. The rest are independent candidates. Besides,
there are candidates on party tickets who are not members of any
political party.

The Democratic Party of Artsakh is the first by the number of
such candidates (6 candidates, constituting 24 per cent of all
the candidates). The political alliance Dashnaktsutyun – Movement
88 is in the second place with 3 candidates (16.6 per cent of
candidates). Naturally, independent members of parliament will also be
elected, which will influence the correlation of political forces in
the National Assembly, and the latter will influence the home policy
of the republic.

DAVIT BABAYAN.

01-06-2005