LOCAL ELECTIONS WITHOUT OPPOSITION
Lragir.am
21-08-2007 12:21:43
On October 14, 161 of 226 communities of Nagorno-Karabakh will hold
elections to heads of municipalities, 217 communities will hold
elections to councils. Stepanakert will elect a mayor. It will be
the fourth local election in Nagorno-Karabakh.
No official statements were made yet. The nomination of candidates is
expected in September. The post of the mayor of Stepanakert will be in
the focus, where almost half of the population of Karabakh lives. Now
the mayor is Edward Aghabekyan, the chair of the oppositionist
Movement 88 Party, who defeated the candidate supported by the
government. However, on the eve of the NKR presidential election on
July 19 Mayor Aghabekyan joined the political leaders who supported
Bako Sahakyan, the president elect. The mayor has not stated to run for
a second term. Nevertheless, no political struggle is expected in the
local election because all the parties of Karabakh have endorsed the
president elect, and the notion of opposition has undergone atrophy.
Some analysts think the former presidential candidate Masis Mayilyan
who got 13 percent must replace the opposition. Pro-government analysts
even advise Masis Mayilyan to set up a political party and try the
local election.
Apparently, however, the upcoming local election in Nagorno-Karabakh
will be without opposition.