Karabakh slams Azeri hysteria ahead of September 13 elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic issued a statement, slamming Azerbaijan’s hysteria ahead of the upcoming elections of local self-government bodies in NKR. The statement reads:

“Along with aggravating the situation at the line of contact and making repeated inflictration and sabotage attempts, as well as continuously shooting from large caliber mortars and artillery, Azerbaijani authorities have launched a hysterical campaign against the ongoing democratic processes in the NKR.

On August 31, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the forthcoming September 13 elections of local self-government bodies in Karabakh. This statement contains the traditional set of baseless accusations against the NKR and Armenia. The state-controlled Azeri media, in turn, have started a race attempting to attain similar accusations from the representatives of various countries and international organizations.

Condemnation of the municipal elections in Karabakh by Azerbaijan is a manifestation of Baku's panic attack towards the democratic processes taking place in the NKR. This is especially evident against the background of the deteriorating situation on human rights and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, where elections are an open ended process of inheritance, whre human rights activists and journalists are persecuted for dissent, while the population is deprived of its fundamental rights and freedoms. Proving their claims to democracy to be an illusion, Azeri authorities do not fall short of attempts to impose their own "standards" of human rights on the international community including neighboring countries.

In this regard, we consider it necessary to note that in line with its commitment to democratic values and principles, the organization of public life and the formation of the NKR authorities are carried out solely by means of free, fair, transparent and competitive elections, which have become an integral part of the political culture of the NKR.

Upcoming September 13 elections are the sixth elections of the local government bodies in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The first municipal elections, including the elections of the mayor of Stepanakert, were held on September 27, 1998.

Stressing the importance of the institution of local self-government as a form of direct and representative governance by the people, as well as the foundations of any democratic regime, the NKR authorities will spare no efforts to enhance its further development and strengthening.”