Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia
to the United Nations
119E 36th street, New York, NY 10016
Tel.: 1-212-686-9079
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E-mail: [email protected]
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June 20, 2005
PRESS RELEASE
Nagorno Karabagh successfully concluded its fourth parliamentary elections
On June 19, 2005, the fourth parliamentary elections were held in the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR) since 1991, when the Republic declared
its independence from Azerbaijan on the basis of a referendum conducted
according to the norms of international law and the existing legislation of
the time. Previous elections to the NKR legislative body were held in 1995
and 2000. About 100 observers from the Czech Republic, Greece, Iran, Russia,
the United Kingdom, the United States and other nations monitored the June
19 parliamentary elections.
Elections in Nagorno Karabakh are held with the intent to secure the
self-governance of the population living within its territory and strengthen
the democratic institutions, which is encouraged by the international
community at large.
In 1992, at the Helsinki CSCE Council of Ministers, the document that
mandated the Minsk Process, referred specifically to Nagorno Karabakh as a
side to negotiations, represented by their elected authorities. The Summary
of Conclusions of the Additional Meeting of the Council of Ministers reads:
“Elected and other representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh will be invited to
the [Minsk] Conference as interested parties by the Chairman of the
Conference after consultations with the States participating at the
Conference.”
Law and order are not just desirable, but also necessary for Nagorno
Karabakh, even if its final status is still undetermined. Popularly elected
authorities become an important factor in the negotiation process and in
implementing whatever agreements may be reached through negotiations. They
are also an expression of the people’s right to self-determination.
The 2005 Parliamentary elections in Nagorno Karabagh were the first held
under a new Electoral Code, which introduced numerous improvements to the
procedures in force during previous presidential, parliamentary and local
elections. Of the nine political parties in Nagorno Karabakh, eight
nominated candidates. Six of the parties ran separate party tickets, and two
parties established a common party ticket for the campaign. Women
constituted 8.5 percent of nominated candidates. Over 70 percent of 89,576
registered voters took part in the elections, exceeding the 25 percent
minimum requirement. Seven parties and 185 candidates were vying for places
in Nagorno Karabakh’s fourth parliament, with two thirds of the parliament’s
33 seats to be elected directly and on third under a proportional system.
The Public International Law and Policy Group Delegation to the June 19,
2005 Nagorno Karabakh Parliamentary Elections issued its preliminary report
concluded: “Nagorno Karabakh has made demonstrable progress in building
democracy and its authorities have made serious effort to conduct the 2005
polls by democratic means. The new electoral code in particular seemed to
have helped unlock the political energies of the Karabakh people while at
the same time channeling these energies in democratic directions by
facilitating the establishment of political parties. Districts appear to be
established on the basis of technical considerations rather than political
considerations. While there remains room for further improvement, there is
reason too for optimism that the people of Nagorno Karabakh can consolidate
the democratic progress witnessed in the June 19 elections.”
As reported by the Public International Law and Policy Group Delegation,
“The general climate at the polling places seemed to be positive and
businesslike. There was no evidence of intimidation or any climate of fear
or uncertainty on the part of voters.” In addition, it noted: “Electoral law
changes introduced by the Central Election Commission opened up the
democratic space for political parties. Competition in that arena adhered to
generally accepted international electoral standards. In their totality, the
evolution of the voting system toward a more democratic process, the nature
of the electoral campaign, and the conduct of voters and officials on
election day are strong signs that Nagorno Karabakh has made significant
progress towards establishing a functioning and we hope sustainable
democracy… We salute the voters, candidates and in particular the Central
Election Commission for demonstrating a serious commitment toward
establishing a democratic system in Nagorno Karabakh and working within its
rules and procedures before and during the election. The election
environment was calm and we have not received any reports of general
intimidation.”
The Public International Law and Policy Group Delegation was composed of
members with a balance of experience in international election monitoring,
democracy building and regional expertise. James Hooper, who led the
American Independent Monitoring Delegation to the 2002 presidential
elections, served with the US Department of State for more than 25 years,
where he followed elections in the Balkans and has subsequently held senior
positions in several nongovernmental organizations. Aleyda Kasten served at
Georgetown University for 20 years as deputy director of the National
Security Studies Program, administrator/researcher of the Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and executive director of the Albert B.
Sabin Vaccine Institute. Vladimir Matic, professor of international
relations at Clemson University and consultant to research institutes,
observed several elections including the 2002 presidential election with the
American Independent Monitoring Delegation and was an assistant foreign
minister in the former Yugoslavia. Louis Sell, a career diplomat and
currently adjunct professor at the University of Maine at Farmington,
previously served in the Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia and
participated in the 2002 presidential election with the American Independent
Monitoring Delegation. William Spencer, a career US diplomat for 14 years,
has organized and supported electoral processes in the Balkans and more
recently worked closely on human rights and democratization issues in
Afghanistan. Paul Williams, executive director and founder of the Public
International Law & Policy Group, has visited Nagorno Karabakh and is a
professor at American University’s School of International Service and
Washington College of Law.
End.