The former defence minister of Nagornyy Karabakh, Samvel Babayan,
critical of parliamentary elections

Mediamax news agency
24 Jun 05

YEREVAN

The former defence minister of Nagornyy Karabakh, Samvel Babayan, said
today that “only idiots” can talk about democratic elections in an
unrecognized republic “under martial law”.

Samvel Babayan said in Yerevan today that he did not stand in the 19
June parliamentary elections in the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR]
because “issues related to Nagornyy Karabakh are solved in Yerevan,
not in Stepanakert,” Mediamax news agency reports.

“I don’t think that any elections were held in the NKR,” the former
NKR defence minister said in conclusion.