Prime Minister: Manipulations regarding presidential elections in  Artsakh will not succeed

ArmInfo. Manipulation of the presidential election in Artsakh will not succeed. This was announced on January 25 at a press conference in Kapan by the Prime Minister of  the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

According to him, having lost all hope of return, the former Armenian  government now relies on the upcoming Karabakh presidential election,  putting forward a person who has already been rejected by the people  of the republic. For the leaders of Artsakh and Armenia, this  scenario is obvious, it is understandable also in terms of national  security. As an example, the prime minister points to statements by  representatives of the former authorities about the allegedly  conducted anti-people policy of the new authorities of Armenia in  relation to Artsakh. In particular, the point is that if a president  is elected who is not against the current policy of the Armenian  authorities, then in this case there will be threats to the security  of Karabakh. "There are even statements voiced about the allegedly  wonderful legacy that Serzh Sargsyan left", Nikol Pashinyan said.

As an example, he dwelled on this legacy, which was published, and  about which there were no rebuttals from the previous government. In  particular, the return of seven regions to Azerbaijan - Aghdam,  Fizuli, Dzhabrail, Zangelan, Kubatly, Kelbajar and Lachin with the  condition of providing direct ground communication between Artsakh  and Armenia. Then it was planned to hold a referendum on the status  of Karabakh, the results of which should become mandatory, and which  should comply with international standards, bearing in mind that the  referendum may include all options related to the status. It was also  planned to completely resolve all issues related to the economic,  political, humanitarian fields, restore good-neighborly relations,  and ensure security in the region of the South Caucasus. The  Azerbaijani authorities would gain control of these areas after  peacekeeping forces were deployed with the withdrawal of all armed  forces. It was planned to deploy peacekeeping forces along the entire  border of the administrative regions of Karabakh, with the exception  of Lachin and Kelbajar. At the same time, the Kelbajar region should  have been permanently in the OSCE monitoring zone. It was also  planned that until the conflict was fully resolved, Nagorno-Karabakh  would enjoy special status.

"And this is the very inheritance that was on the table, which is not  refuted, and on which accusations against us sound that we lost this  legacy, "said Nikol Pashinyan. He called on all candidates for  Artsakh's presidency to officially and publicly declare whether this  text suits them or not." Let the peoples of Artsakh and Armenia also  express themselves, and if it turns out that these proposals suit  them, I  guarantee that on the same day they will be on the  negotiating table, "the head of the Armenian government said.

The prime minister also noted that upon assuming the post of head of  government, he was invited to resume negotiations precisely with  these offers. But at a joint meeting of the security councils of  Artsakh and Armenia in Stepanakert, completely different points of  view were expressed.

Earlier, ArmInfo reported that the presidential and parliamentary  elections in Artsakh will be held on March 31, 2020, this day is  declared non-working in the republic. The Chairman of the Free  Homeland Party Araik Harutyunyan, the current Foreign Minister Masis  Mayilyan, the former Secretary of the Security Council Vitaly  Balasanyan announced their intention to take part in the presidential  election.