ROBERT KOCHARIAN: THERE WILL BE NO ACTIVE NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS ON
NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE UNTIL NA ELECTIONS

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. "To have fair and free elections
proceeds from everybody’s interests," RA President Robert Kocharian
said in his interview to three Armenian TV companies on December
15. Touching upon the statements of opposition parties that in some
cases their members are bribed at electoral commissions, therefore
they sign final protocols on election results, R.Kocharian said that
if a political party does not have a sufficient number of honest
devotees who are never bribed at commissions, "by what right does this
party strive for ruling the country?" In his words, if such people
hold posts, it is obvious in what situation the country will
appear. "I am convinced that if even one member of electoral
commission resolutely protects the votes due to his party, it will be
impossible to commit falsifications at electoral commissions,"
R.Kocharian said. He added that extension of powers of empowered
persons and transparency of the process of summarizing of results of
the elections envisaged by the Electoral Code are aimed at excluding
electoral falsifications. RA President also touched upon possible
speculations of the Nagorno Karabakh problem in the preelection
period. In his words, "they will discredit even the best proposal if
this proposal and these discussions are in the preelection period."
"There are some people in Armenia who are looking forward that the
negotiations process will enable to speculate the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh settlement. There are even some people who cannot reserve
themselves at different meetings, interviews, they just say that
President Kocharian will have to make some concessions on Karabakh
issue and we will use it during the electoral campaign. I will
disappoint these people: there will be no active negotiations process
until the NA elections," RA President said.