Occupied Azeri territory launches election campaign

Occupied Azeri territory launches election campaign

YEREVAN, May 18 (AFP) – The self-proclaimed separatist Armenian
state of Nagorny Karabakh, where Azerbaijan still claims sovereignty,
launched a legislative election campaign on Wednesday ahead of polls
on June 19.

An official of the electoral commission, Seyran Ayrapetyan, told AFP
this fourth such election in Nagorny Karabakh would feature a new
seat allocation system.

“Previous parliaments were elected by direct majority, but the new
one will include partial proportional representation,” said Ayrapetyan.

Seven parties are contesting the election for a five year mandate
where 11 seats will be allocated by proportional representation and
the other 22 by direct suffrage.

The population of Nagorny Karabakh is largely ethnic-Armenian and was
the scene of a conflict in 1993-1994 between Armenia and Azerbaijan
that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.

Armenia said on Monday it was ready to give up seven other regions
of Azerbaijan it occupied during an early 1990s war once the status
of the Nagorny Karabakh enclave has been settled.