ARMENIAN PAPERS SAYS EX-SECURITY CHIEF CERTAIN TO WIN KARABAKH POLLS
Quotes package from BBC Monitoring
20 Jul 07
The Armenian press on 20 July gave extensive coverage to the
presidential election in Armenian-populated breakaway region of
Nagornyy Karabakh. Papers published factual reports, interviews, and
commentaries as to who would be the next president of the self-declared
Nagornyy Karabakh republic (NKR), with the general perception being
that Bako Sahakyan, ex-chief of the NKR national security service,
will undoubtedly win. The following are quotes from editorial comments
on the NKR presidential election published by Armenian newspaper on
20 July:
Aravot (pro-opposition daily; ): "A few days ago, a
foreign journalist asked me to explain why elections in unrecognized
countries are 100-per-cent predictable. He meant that Bako Sahakyan
would certainly become the NKR president. I said that due to the
same reason as they [election results] are predictable in recognized
countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and any other country of
the CIS. And why only in the CIS? Who, for example, doubts that the
party of Erdogan and Gul is going to win the parliamentary election
in Turkey? So the predictability of election results is not based
on a condition whether a country is ‘recognized’ or ‘unrecognized’,
but it stems from the political regime in that country."
(Commentary by editor Aram Abrahamyan)
Haykakan Zhamanak (opposition daily; ) "Bako Sahakyan
and [his main rival] Masis Mayilyan voted at the same polling
station. However, they voted at different times and in different
atmosphere. At the initiative of the local authorities, Sahakyan was
met with folk music, and his wife was presented with flowers at the
entrance. As soon as Sahakyan left the polling station, the musicians
disappeared." (Commentary by Kristine Khanumyan)
Hayots Ashkharh (pro-government daily; ) "International
observers assessed the presidential election held in the Nagornyy
Karabakh republic yesterday as ‘more than perfect’." (Commentary by
Lilit Poghosyan)