FORMER NAGORNO KARABAKH RESIDENTS RESIDING IN RUSSIA EXPRESS INDIGNATION WITH IDEA OF "DELAYED REFERENDUM"
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006
ROSTOV, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A group of refugees
from former residents of Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) currently
residing in the territory of Rostov region of Russian Federation sent
a written appeal to NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian, as well as to
the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh. According
to the editorial staff of the Yerkramas (Territory) newspaper of
Armenians of Russia, the authors of the appeal express indignation with
plans of settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict voiced in speeches
and statements of a number of politicians envisaging holding of some
"delayed referendum" on state-legal status of NKR with participation of
"Azerbaijani refugees who have returned."
At that, as the authors of the statement mention, nothing is said
about return of refugee-Armenians to their lands, to Shahumian region
occupied by Azeris, to parts of Martakert and Martuni region of NKR,
and about subsequent participation of Armenian refugees in the supposed
"delayed" referendum. "While, the above mentioned territories are
integral parts of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the borders of which were
formed in September-December 1991 as a result of free and legal will of
territory’s residents. In this connection we announce to Co-chairs of
OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh that there can be no referendum
and its legal results if the will of the Armenian refugees from NKR
and Nagorno Karabakh regions adjoining it is ignored. There cannot
and will not be a division of refugees into the "first sort," by which
the international mediators mean former Azerbaijani national minority
of Nagorno Karabakh and into the "second sort," among which, to all
appearances, the mediators number representatives of the Armenian
people of Nagorno Karabakh," the appeal read.
The authors of the appeal also call NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian
for providing their right of vote at the Referendum on NKR Constitution
to be held on December 10, 2006, as well as including Armenian refugees
from NKR and former NKR residents who will express willingness into
the electoral rolls for voting and organizing participation in voting
through creating the respective electoral districts where possible,
in the Republic of Armenia, NKR, as well as in the places of their
current residence beyond the bounds of the region.
According to the information of the Yerkramas newspaper, the authors
of the appeal are natives of Nagorno Karabakh who were born and
lived there for the most or considerable part of their life and had
to leave the lands of their ancestors during Azerbaijan’s aggression
against the Nagorno Karabakh people.