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Ethnic-Armenian Self-Declared Republic Nagorno-Karabakh Holds Local

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  • Ethnic-Armenian Self-Declared Republic Nagorno-Karabakh Holds Local

    ETHNIC-ARMENIAN SELF-DECLARED REPUBLIC NAGORNO-KARABAKH HOLDS LOCAL ELECTIONS
    by Lilit Gevorgyan

    Global Insight
    September 28, 2011

    Last week the ethnic Armenian self-declared Republic
    of Nagorno-Karabakh held local elections for over 200 rural
    communities and the capital Stepanakert. According to the Central
    Election Commission, 59% of the 93,000 eligible voters took part in
    the elections. Given lack of any major divisions between the rival
    political parties and generally low level of internal security threat,
    the elections were peaceful with no incidents or protests.

    President Bako Sahakyan, elected in 2007, stated to Radio Free
    Europe/Radio Liberty that "elections have become part of life"
    in Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that it was encouraging to see that
    the vote took place in a calm environment. The key race was for
    mayor of Stepanakert, which went to Suren Grigoryan backed by the
    government after he managed to secure 62.5% of the vote, while the
    losing candidates have not challenged the results. One of them, Marat
    Hasratyan, who is also an MP, agreed that the elections were conducted
    properly. However, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry condemned the vote as
    illegitimate in a statement issued after the elections. Baku called
    the vote staged to conceal Armenian "occupation of Azerbaijan's
    internationally recognized territories". In response, Vasili
    Atajanyan, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson for Nagorno-Karabakh
    which unilaterally seceded from Soviet Azerbaijan back in 1988,
    dismissed Azerbaijan's response. He said the autonomous republic "is
    showing the world that we have created a truly democratic state,"
    unlike Azerbaijan, which he called a "hereditary sultanate" where
    voters do not have voice.

    Significance:The local elections in Nagorno-Karabakh indicate
    that there is general consensus among the political parties in
    the mainly ethnic Armenian region. Although some foreign election
    monitors observed the vote, due to lack of international recognition
    international election watchdogs were absent--hence it is difficult
    to independently verify the quality of the vote. Nagorno-Karabakh
    has seen a series of parliamentary, presidential and local elections
    throughout itsde factoindependence in the past two decades. While
    the region undoubtedly carries political influence from the parties
    functioning in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh has developed its own parties
    which often disagree with the political decisions of Yerevan.

    Furthermore, some of its politicians have not shied from openly
    disputing some elements of the Armenian position on the final status
    of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region, aside from the existential threat
    from Azerbaijan, faces a handful of issues including corruption
    and economic growth issues. Its leadership also realises that in
    the face of increased threat of war with Baku, domestic political
    unity is important. The ability to consistently uphold--albeit
    imperfect--democratic traditions is also important political currency
    for Nagorno-Karabakh, which is vying to gain international recognition
    of its independence 20 years after its declaration.

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