BAKO SAHAKIAN SET TO WIN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

ARMENPRESS
Jul 9, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS: A public opinion poll conducted in
Nagorno-Karabakh by a Yerevan-based pollster center found that 82.5
percent of local voters are likely to go to the polls on July 19 to
elect their next president.

Presenting today the findings of the survey, Aharon Adibekian, head
of the pollster center, called, Sociometer, said the gap between the
number of voters supporting Bako Sahakian, head of the local national
security service, and Masis Mailian, a deputy foreign minister, the
two major contenders, is so big that even a ten percent error margin
would have no significance.

According to Adibekian, 17.5 percent of respondents refused flatly
to answer the survey’s questions and 25 percent of those who said
they would go to the polling stations, may later boycott the election.

Only ten percent of Karabakh voters would cast their ballots for Masis
Mailian, but only 2.5 percent of them believe he would be elected,
while 48 percent said definitely they would elect Bako Sahakian.

Nearly 37 percent said they believe the election would be free and
just, 36 believe it would be normal and only 5.6 normal do not believe
the polls would be free and fair.

The poll was conducted on July 6 among 700 people in 18 rural and
urban communities of Nagorno-Karabakh.