Artsakh holds presidential elections: Incumbent President Bako Sahakyan re-elected to second term
On July 19, 2012, for the fifth time since independence the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh chose their president. More than 70 percent of nearly 100,000 eligible voters turned out to decide between three candidates: incumbent President Bako Sahakyan; National Assembly member and former deputy minister of defense Vitaliy Balasanyan; and academic Arkady Soghomonyan.
According to preliminary results released by the NKR Central Electoral Commission Bako Sahakyan received more than 66 percent of the vote and was thus reelected to a second term. Vitaliy Balasanyan polled more than 32 percent and Arkady Soghomonyan less than one percent.
More than 80 international observers from two dozen countries, including Armenia, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the United States of America, Uruguay monitored the parliamentary elections in Artsakh widely covered by local and world media.
According to preliminary judgments of the observers, the election were free and fair, and reflected the democratic will of the people of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh.
The European Friends of Armenia Observer Mission that included members of the European Parliament, journalists and other public figures, welcomed the conduct of elections in Artsakh, emphasized their transparent nature and called on the international community to appreciate these efforts and provide technical assistance and election observation for future elections.
International expert Center for Electoral Systems, an independent monitoring group founded by a former member of Israeli Knesset, characterized the elections as free expression of popular will that is on par with international electoral standards. The mission noted that the election campaign was carried out in a democratic and competitive atmosphere, and emphasized the commitment of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to conduct democratic and transparent elections.
Another election monitor, member of the Canadian parliament Jim Karygiannis, observed that “the people of Nagorno-Karabakh exercised their democratic right to choose who will lead their government and I was privileged to be able to witness it…It was a picture perfect election from start to finish,” the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States reported.
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