The controversial reelection of Bako Sahakian, Nagorno-Karabakh’s president, was democratic and legitimate, a senior official in Stepanakert insisted on Thursday.
Sahakian was due to serve out his second and final term in office this summer. The Karabakh parliament decided on Wednesday, however, that he will remain in power as an interim president until the unrecognized republic completes its transition to a fully presidential system of government in 2020.
The transition is mandated by Karabakh’s new constitution enacted earlier this year amid strong opposition criticism.
Ashot Ghulian, the Karabakh parliament speaker, said the fact that Sahakian was reelected by local lawmakers, rather than voters, must not call into question his legitimacy.
“We can give many examples of how presidents and parliaments are elected in various countries,” Ghulian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “The modes of election are different. I believe that in our case it was done under a much more transparent, free and democratic procedure.”
Ghukasian also insisted that the prolongation of Sahakian’s decade-long rule will not undermine democracy in Karabakh. “Democracy is not just about elections,” he said. “Democracy is also about the transparency of a country’s political system. The processes that took place before yesterday’s reelection of the president by the parliament were very transparent, open and understandable to everyone.”
Sahakian was backed on Wednesday by 28 members of the 33-seat legislature representing three political parties loyal to him. One of those parties is led by Ghulian.
Some opposition figures in Stepanakert claim that the Karabakh leader plans to participate in the next presidential elections due in 2020 and further extend his rule. Ghulian did not confirm or deny that, saying that the issue is “not on any party’s agenda” yet.
“I don’t think that any of the parties is now thinking about 2020 and has already made that decision,” added the Karabakh official.