Karabakh President stresses importance of elections there
By Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 18, 2005 Saturday 12:02 AM Eastern Time

YEREVAN, June 18 — Sunday’s election to parliament in the
self-proclaimed republic of Nagorny Karabakh has international
significance for the territory, Karabakh’s President Arkady Gukassian
said Saturday.

“I urge all the political forces and candidates for seats in parliament
to honor the choice the people of Karabakh will make and to continue
pooling efforts for the sake of state construction, to work towards
international recognition of our state and towards its flourishing,”
Gukassian said.

He warned that any encroachments on law or attempts to destabilize
the situation after the election whoever may make them.

“Any such actions will be assessed in due manner and all their
initiators and accomplices with be punished as specified by our laws,”
Gukassian said.

Karabakh is an Armenian-populated enclave in Azerbaijan and it has
been in conflict with the central govenment in Balu since late 1980’s,
which sometimes took the form of bloodlettg hostiliies.