Baku, Azerbaijan, May 1
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Any action called "election" of the unrecognized, illegal regime established by Armenia on the occupied Azerbaijani territories is a political show and just another reminder about itself, and therefore it is not taken seriously, MP of Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament), Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Security and Political Affairs of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Azay Guliyev told Trend May 1.
He went on to add that the use of the word "parliamentary election" is a gross violation of the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan, norms and principles of international law.
He believes that today, in such a tense moment in the region, this speculation of Armenia is mostly designed to ignore the calls of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to begin work on the peace agreement, harm the negotiation process and preserve the status quo.
This game in election is not recognized and is condemned by the international community, according to the MP.
Election and referendums should be held according to the Constitution and the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan, the MP said.
Elections and referendums in the occupied territories can be held after their complete liberation, restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and after the people who lived in these territories return to their permanent residence in accordance with Azerbaijani constitution and laws, he said.
Guliyev added that he welcomes the appeal made by the relevant structures saying that criminal cases will be initiated against foreign citizens wishing to participate in this "election" as "observers".
In reality, the "observers" who illegally visit Nagorno-Karabakh, support the occupation, aggression and the results of the bloody ethnic cleansing committed against Azerbaijan, according to Azay Guliyev.
The separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh plans to hold illegal "parliamentary election" on May 3.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.