Agence France Presse
Wednesday 1:03 PM GMT
Azerbaijan decries rebel region vote as Armenian 'provocation'
Yerevan,
The parliament of Azerbaijan's separatist Nagorny Karabakh region on
Wednesday elected leader Bako Sahakyan for a third term, sparking
condemnation from Baku as a "blatant violation of international law."
The disputed territory has been under Armenian control since it was
seized during a bloody conflict in the early 1990s after the break-up
of the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijan and Armenia remain locked in a bitter dispute with frequent
exchanges of fire along the volatile frontline nearly spiralling back
into all-out war last year.
Nagorny Karabakh's 33-member legislature backed another three-year
term for Sahakyan to remain as president of the self-declared state.
Despite claiming independence, the separatist authorities are
controlled by Armenia.
The international community still views it as part of Azerbaijan and
no country has recognised it as an independent nation.
"The illegal and fraudulent 'presidential election' is a blatant
violation of Azerbaijan's constitution and of international law,"
Azerbaijan's foreign ministry spokesman, Hikmet Hajiyev, told AFP.
"This is yet another provocation by Armenia," he said.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan, whose military spending exceeds Armenia's
entire state budget, has repeatedly threatened to take back the
breakaway region by force.
Moscow-allied Armenia has vowed to crush any military offensive.
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