Nagorno-Karabakh elections: Azerbaijan should learn a few things about
democracy and the concept of free and fair elections

12:40 22/05/2010 » Politics

On 23 May 2010, parliamentary elections will be held in the Republic
of Nagorno-Karabakh and, in anticipation of that event and as
expected, Azerbaijan’s state propaganda machine is in full gear to
discredit democratic processes led by authorities and people of
Karabakh. To this end, a number of articles have recently appeared in
the Azeri media containing fabrications and meritless accusations
towards the Armenian side.

Just yesterday, in one of the news articles, the Azeri press printed
the letter of the Azerbaijani Ambassador circulated at the United
Nations about the upcoming elections. The Press Center of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has confirmed that the Armenian
Ambassador to the United Nations responded to the Azeri side by
submitting a `swift response’ to the Secretary General of the United
Nations, the General Assembly and the Security Council.

While the diplomatic duel between Armenia and Azerbaijan is currently
taking place in New York, let us go back to Helsinki for a moment. In
this city, on 24 March 1992, the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe made a decision that elected representatives of
Nagorno-Karabakh must participate in the negotiations aimed at the
resolution of the conflict as interested parties.

Irrespective of what the letter of Azerbaijan or its media says today,
for a long time the NKR has had established legitimate political
institutions and authority bodies, a functioning government, an
elected parliament and an independent judiciary. There is a
comprehensive consensus in the NKR with respect to fundamental
democratic values within the society and, on a daily basis, actions
are being taken to harmonize its legal framework with the European
standards. Multiparty system has also been established there, and the
civil society is an active participant in the process.

During its 20 years of state-building process, elections for the
President, the National Assembly and local self-governing bodies were
held four times in Nagorno-Karabakh. These elections were noteworthy
because several candidates were running for each institution and the
people chose from alternative options. As noted in the numerous
reports of the international independent observers, democratic
standards were observed during those elections.

Perhaps Azerbaijan, with its long history of seriously flawed
elections, can take note of the reports of the observers and learn a
few things about democracy and the concept of free and fair elections.

The upcoming ballot parliamentary vote in Stepanakert and in other
cities and villages of Nagorno-Karabakh are crucial for the future
participation of the elected leaders in the negotiation process of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group. It is for
this reason that the presence of the international observers to
monitor and report the outcome of the election is welcomed which can
only positively contribute to the just and peaceful solution of the
conflict.

Source: Panorama.am