Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic has a new parliament. Thirty-three deputies will be represented at the National Assembly, of which 22 have been elected through party lists, the other 11 – through majoritarian system.

The turnout at the Sunday elections made 70%. According to preliminary data, Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan’s “Azat Hayrenik” (Free Motherland) Party is leading the vote.

Observers at the elections yesterday expressed their satisfaction with the voting process. Speaking of the position of the European Union and other international organizations, MEP Marc Engel said: “The fact that I’m here today at least shows that I recognize the elections. I consider that the people of Nagorno Karabakh prefer democracy without recognition to recognition without democracy.”

Director of the European Friends of Armenia Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa said “democracy is developing in the whole world, and the elections in Karabakh are a vivid example of it.”

The elections were followed by more than 100 observers from 25 countries.