Azerbaijan's CEC spoke about Parliamentary elections in Nagorno-Karabakh

The parliamentary elections held by the Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh contradicts the international legal norms.

"The elections are held to form a legitimate government. They must be fair, free and democratic. But, holding of elections in the war zones and occupied territories oppose the international legal norms," Azerbaijani Central Election Committee Secretary Natig Mammadov told Trend.

Armenian separatist regime of the Nagorno-Karabakh intends to hold parliamentary elections on May 23. It has already started the process of registration of candidates.

There is no single entity having a legal framework that meets the requirements of legislation and international standards, as well as the body that can cope with the obligations imposed on it, in the Nagorno-Karabakh, Mammadov said.

"These territories are under occupation and the international organizations and countries around the world recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the elections in these areas should be conducted under the Azerbaijani legislation," he added.

Mammadov said the Azerbaijani legislation is in force throughout the country.

"Currently, the Azerbaijani laws can not be directly applied in the territories that are under occupation of Armenia. Thus holding of legitimate elections in Nagorno-Karabakh is impossible. This is a game to justify and legitimize the occupation," Mammadov said.

Such step is offensive to the Karabakh Azerbaijanis and citizens of other countries, internally displaced in Karabakh.

"Thus, a group of people try to legitimize the arbitrariness of the majority. People living there have become a toy. Separatists are forcing people to vote and make a pretense of elections, and members of the process know that this game does not have any legal foundation. Unfortunately, this game continues to be a part of the occupation of Azerbaijan's territories," Mamamdov said.


/Trend/