AZG Armenian Daily #148, 23/08/2005

Karabakh diary

KARABAKH CANNOT GET SIDETRACKED

The Central Electoral Committee of Nagorno Karabakh called the appeal of the
Azerbaijani CEC to the people of Karabakh on the eve of parliamentary
elections a violent intervention in the inner affairs of sovereign Artsakh.
A statement by NKR CEC reads, “Azerbaijan is empowered neither with legal
nor especially with moral right to call on the Artsakhi people to take part
in elections in the republic. The people of Nagorno Karabakh realizes its
electoral right in accordance with the constitution of NKR, exclusively
within the frontiers of its own state, which secures its social and civil
rights.

The official Baku, which organized and carried out mass killings and
eviction of hundreds of thousands Armenians in former Soviet Azerbaijan and
provoked large-scale war against NKR and its people, now tries to play a
protector of the rights of people of Nagorno Karabakh. Such a stance is even
more impudent when considered the neglect to basic rights of Artsakhi
people, including the right of self-determination, the seizure of a
considerable part of NKR territory, the everlasting blockade of NKR and the
creation of atmosphere of intolerance against Armenians. Azerbaijan, which
violates the constitutional rights and liberties of its own citizens, cannot
guarantee security for the elementary rights of life and dignity of NKR
citizens. This proves that the people of Karabakh has chosen right and
irreversible path of independent development.

The people of Karabakh has its own state that declared its independence on 6
January of 1992 in accordance with a national referendum held earlier. The
population of Nagorno Karabakh, whose civil rights are documented in the
constitution of NKR and are pronouncedly protected, is actively involved in
the inner political life of the republic, in strengthening and further
development of civil and state institutions, including the National Assembly
of NKR. During the years of independence Nagorno Karabakh has organized 3
presidential, 4 parliamentary and 3 elections to local governance bodies.
International observers found all of them transparent, free and just”.

The statement calls on Azerbaijan at the same time to refrain from
groundless statements that mislead the world community and to direct its
efforts to a constructive dialogue aiming to establish stability in the
region and to achieve peaceful coexistence of the two people.

The head of CEC of NKR, Sergey Nasibian, told daily Azg on occasion of the
statement that this step of Azerbaijan is directed to the inner audience, as
the neighboring state is perhaps anxious about the forthcoming elections on
November 6. Azerbaijan has carried many elections in the course of a
decade-long confrontation but this was the first time it employs such
tactics. This, perhaps, speaks well of the authorities’ fears as regards
inner instability of the country.

By Kim Gabrielian from Stepanakert

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress