NAGORNO-KARABAKH GETTING READY FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

ARMENPRESS
Apr 17 2007

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: The Central Election Commission
(CEC) of Nagorno-Karabakh said it will be receiving bids for contesting
presidential election from April 20 to May 5. Sergey Nasibian,
chairman of the CEC, said registration of candidates will be made
between May 30 to June 9. The presidential election is scheduled to
take place on July 19.

The CEC has also decided that the election campaign will last from
June 10 to July 17.

Nasibian said a polling station will open for Nagorno-Karabakh citizens
in Yerevan and in all likelihood in Russia’s capital Moscow. He said
authorities in Stepanakert are working now to verify all voter lists
and eliminate inaccuracies.

Nasibian said the chief of the local nationals security service Bako
Sahakian has indicated he will contest the presidential election.

The previous presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh was held on
August 11, 2002 and was conducted freely and transparently, according
to a report by the Independent American Monitoring Delegation.

"Nagorno Karabakh has made demonstrable progress in building democracy
and its authorities have made a serious effort to conduct the 2002
polls by democratic means. The voters and candidates have demonstrated
a great commitment toward bringing democracy to Nagorno Karabakh. The
voting environment was calm and absent any reports of intimidation,"
the report said.

The current president Arkady Ghukasian, will step down after serving
two consecutive terms. He announced several times he will not contest
the poll for the third term.