STATE DUMA DEPUTY GIVE HIGH ASSESSMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN NKR

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 20. ARMINFO. Deputy of Russian Sate Duma, Director
of CIS Institute Konstantine Zatoulin, who observed the parliamentary
elections in NKR, gives a high assessment to them.

According to ARMINFO’s special correspondent to Stepanakert, at a
press conference K.Zatoulin says that yesterday the people voted for
various political forces, hereby solving their tasks and the issues
connected with state development, which is of great importance. He
says there are states in the world which are called unrecognized, and
the recognized states feel a temptation to not only deprive them of
statehood, but also to refuse their rights to self- determination. In
the current situation, when Nagoprny Karabakh is an unrecognized
state, it could easily slip to authoritarianism arising doubts of the
international community in the Karabakh people’s right to vote. The
elections held on June 19 showed that the standards they were
organized on were higher than in the neighboring state which does not
recognize it “in spite of all my respect for the Aliyevs Senior and
Junior,” Zatoulin says. In this connection he asked: “How one can make
the people of Nagorny Karabakh to enter into or withdraw from anything
in such situation?”

The Russian MP thinks the elections not only a way to solution of
NKR’s problems, but also confirmation of the country’s adherence to
democracy and right to independence to the world. He emphasized the
high activity of voters and calmness of the elections. Zatoulin
personally visited 6 electoral districts and observed no violations.
He emphasized the electoral registers on the walls of polling
stations, which is not done even in Russia. He called this elections a
step forward as compared to the previous ones. Zatoulin announced his
intention to raise the issue of revision of the funds “for support of
democracy outside Russia” at the State Duma, hereby NKR can take
advantage of it. As regards the influence of the elections on the
process and final result on the settlement of Karabakh conflict,
Zatoulin answered positively. He says he sees no possibility of
participation of the Azerbaijani community in the parliamentary
elections in NKR. Having lost the war, the Azerbaijani authorities
continue it in a virtual regime, Zatoulin says.