"PRE-ELECTORAL SITUATION IN ARTSAKH IS ABSURD," REPRESENTATIVE OF MASIS MAYILIAN BELIEVES

Noyan Tapan
Jul 03 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Arman Melikian, the advisor of the
President of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, believes that no
discussions and round tables concerning the forthcoming presidential
elections to be held in Nagorno Karabakh should be organized in
Yerevan. As he mentioned at the beginning of the round table organized
on the initiative of the Kovkas analytical center on July 3, such
measures are considered to be an intervention in the internal affairs
of Karabakh. A. Melikian declared that "this discussion is an attempt
to influence the forthcoming presidential elections in Nagorno Karabakh
by another state" and left the hall.

Political scientist Aleksandre Manasian mentioned that he fully
understands A. Melikian’s dissatisfaction, as Armenia has not made
a distinct statement concerning the status of Artsakh so far. On the
other hand, according to the political scientist, if the United States,
Russia, and other countries are interested in the Artsakh elections,
then Armenia is more entitled to be interested in it.

Gegham Baghdasarian, a representative of Masis Mayilian, a candidate
for the post of the Karabakh president and an MP in the NKR National
Assembly, introduced the pre-electoral situation in Artsakh and classed
it as "absurd." According to him, both pro-power and opposition
parties support the same candidate, which is an unprecedented
phenomenon throughout the world. In G. Baghdasarian’s conviction,
if the candidature of M. Mayilian was not put forward, there would
not be any alternative at all, and everything would be held in false
democratic conditions.