ACCORDING TO SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN, UNIFICATION OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL FORCES OF KARABAKH AROUND ONE CANDIDATE IS EXPLAINED BY EXISTENCE OF EXTERNAL DANGER

Noyan Tapan
Jul 24, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A very important precedent was created
for the first time in the presidential elections, which were held
in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh on July 19: the President of the
country did not take advantage of the circumstance that Constitution
has been amended and did not put forward his candidature for the
third time. This statement was made by Shavarsh Kocharian, the
Chairman of the Board of the National Democratic Party, who took
part in the presidential elections held in the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh as an observer, at the press conference, which was held on
July 24. According to the Chairman of the National Democratic Party,
one of the important peculiarities of the latest Karabakh elections
was the absence of tension.

Shavarsh Kocharian mentioned that irrespective of the fact that the
conclusions of foreign observers were mainly positive, they could
not understand the circumstance that both power and opposition forces
mainly supported the same candidate. In the opinion of the Chairman of
the National Democratic Party, the reason is that the existing external
danger consolidates the Karabakh society. He expressed conviction
that in case the world community recognizes the independence of the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, the opposition and the authorities will
not unite round one candidate even under an external pressure.

According to Shavarsh Kocharian, in difference to other non-recognized
republics, Karabakh is distinctly fully-fledged as a state with
all its indications: it has an efficient army, which is under civil
supervision, elections of all levels are recurrently held there, a
serious legal system has been created, the culminations of which, that
is to say Constitution, is one of the most democratic Constitutions
in the CIS region with its content.