NKR PRESIDENT: CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM TESTIFIES TO IRREVERSIBILITY OF PROCESS OF INDEPENDENT NKR’S CONSTRUCTION
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Dec 12 2006
In the course of a press conference held in Stepanakert, the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Arkady Ghoukassian stated, "a
Constitutional referendum testifies to the irreversibility of the
process of the sovereign and independent NKR’s construction".
According to Arkady Ghoukassian, the Constitution’s adoption was
not an end in itself, but it has crowned what has been done during
the years of the NKR’s independence, DE FACTO own correspondent in
Stepanakert reports. "The basic law has determined the vector of the
Republic’s further development", the President stated. He underscored,
"a nation having a democratic and balanced Constitution has got more
chances for the recognition of its independence".
In Arkady Ghoukassian’s opinion, the NKR Constitution is one of the
most democratic on the post-Soviet territory. He voiced confidence that
"if Azerbaijan had such a democratic Constitution, it would be easier
for the Nagorno-Karabakh to accomplish tasks with it". In his words,
the Azerbaijan’s Constitution was adopted "to documentarily destroy
the Nagorno-Karabakh, and official Baku’s negative response to the
referendum held in the Nagorno-Karabakh has no ground to be perceived
by the international community".
Answering a question on the possible influence of the Constitution’s
adoption on the process of the NKR’s international recognition,
the President stressed, "the Constitution is not a panacea, the
Constitution is a chance for the country’s democratization".
Speaking of the Karabakh settlement process, Arkady Ghoukassian said,
"In Azerbaijan’s stand I do not see constructivism that could result
in the conflict settlement". He underscored the Karabakh party’s
participation in the talks was necessary not for the Nagorno-Karabakh,
but for the process, and, in his opinion, the international mediators
are also aware of the fact.
Commenting on the possibility of the conduct of a referendum on the
Nagorno-Karabakh’s political status, Arkady Ghoukassian remarked,
"if we are offered to hold a referendum under the international
community’s guarantees, and if Azerbaijan recognizes the referendum
irrespective of its outcome, we’ll consider the proposal".