DRAMATIC CHANGE IN KARABAKH

On the one hand, the presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh ended as it had been expected, on the other hand, interesting changes were noticed.The first and symptomatic change was the smaller difference between the results of the winner and the run-up candidate. In NKR presidential election 2012 the winner's percentage is lower than in the previous elections. For instance, in 2007 Bako Sahakyan got 85.12% while his opponent Masis Mayilyan got 12.53%.In 2002, ex-president Arkady Ghukasyan was reelected by 88.95% while his opponent got only 7.67%. Moreover, in his first election Ghukasyan got as much as 89.31%, whereas the runner-up got 5.35%.In the first presidential election in NKR, in 1996 Robert Kocharyan got 88.91%, his opponent got 7.09%.It should be noted that the first three presidential elections in NKR were not competitive, and the opponents were objectively weaker than the winners.The picture was different in 2007 when Bako Sahakyan's opponent was Masis Mayilyan, and the picture was different in 2012 when the opponent to the incumbent president was General Vitaly Balasanyan.The dynamics of the past two elections is notable. In 2007 Masis Mayilyan was able to double the result of the runner-up of the previous election, in 2012 Vitaly Balasanyan got 31% which doubled Mayilyan's result, while the winner's result is down to 67%. Hence, although the president was not changed in Karabakh, the situation changes, which is visible even in the official reelection data.Bako Sahakyan's opponent Vitaly Balasanyan had noted that if he loses the voting, he will declare himself opposition.There has been no opposition in Karabakh for a long time. As a result, the social and political life is colored in grey, diverse opinions are referred to as treason or spying, as well as the lower rating of Karabakh by Freedom House which described Karabakh as non-free, bringing it to the same level with Azerbaijan. Earlier Karabakh was partly free.Certainly, the goal is not to change the president or the evaluation of Karabakh but wake the social and political life, dispersing the grey mist, enabling competition of ideas and opinions which make societies compliant, competitive, viable, sober, alert to meet the challenges of time. International evaluations are merely the good or bad result of these steps.What will change in Karabakh after the fifth presidential election? The answer to this question depends on how Vitaly Balasanyan and his team will further act. Or what opposition Balasanyan will form, what changes of social psychology and mentality he will bring, what new ideas will be proposed and formed. There is no doubt that the behavior of the government will depend on the activities of the opposition, the level of access to it.After all, the public understanding of this activity has made the government resist temptations at 80% and up. Now the opposition needs to resist status temptations and continue the actions that make the government resist temptations. HAKOB BADALYAN

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Headlines for July 20, 2012

CEC: BAKO SAHAKYAN WAS REELECTED
The NKR Central Electoral Commission published the preliminary results of voting to NKR president on July 19.According to the preliminary data, Bako Sahakyan was reelected getting 66.7%. 47,085 voted ...
NAHAPET GEVORGYAN WILL NOT RESIGN
The Republican Party held an executive board meeting yesterday evening. The deputy leader of the party Galust Sahakyan said the board did not discuss the nominations of deputy ministers and deputy governors ...
DRAMATIC CHANGE IN KARABAKH
On the one hand, the presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh ended as it had been expected, on the other hand, interesting changes were noticed.The first and symptomatic change was the smaller difference ...
ARMENIAN OBSERVERS SATISFIED
The Armenian parliamentary observation mission evaluated the NKR election highly. 9 members of parliament formed the mission who held a press conference today to share their impressions.Armen Rustamyan, ...
RUSSIAN OBSERVERS: NKR VOTE WAS TRANSPARENT AND LEGITIMATE
The Russian observation mission of 16 members made a statement in Stepanakert today, highly evaluating the presidential election in NKR. The Russian observers noted the high level of the political race, ...
NALBANDYAN: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST BE INTERESTED
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan commented on the NKR presidential election for Armenpress News Agency. He described the vote as free, fair and competitive which expresses the commitment of the authorities ...
VITALY BALASANYAN THANKED HIS VOTERS
Vitaly Balasanyan, the run-up presidential candidate in NKR, congratulated the people of Artsakh for the national awakening. The people of Artsakh proved ready to decide its destiny. The number of votes ...
VOVA GASPARYAN WILL SAVE 10 DRAMS
On June 20, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork Marash communities of Yerevan dismissed the application of the head of Vanadzor office of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Artur Sakunts against ...
PRESIDENT DISSATISFIED WITH POLICE
Today Serzh Sargsyan took part in the RA police board meeting where the results of activities of the police in the first half of 2012 were discussed, the information office of the president administration ...
ARMENIA IS DETERMINED TO FULFILL ARMENIAN-IRANIAN PROJECTS
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with the newly-appointed ambassador of Iran to Armenia Mohammad Reis. He said the development of relations between Armenia and Iran stems from the interests of both ...
RUSSIAN SPEAKER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON TWO-DAY VISIT
Pastinfo: Upon the invitation of the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan a Russian State Duma delegation headed by Speaker Sergey Narishkin will arrive in Armenia on July 23 on ...
SCIENCE FUNDING TO BE ENHANCED BY 10%
The session of the commission to discuss target projects aimed at the scientific and scientific-technical activities in Armenia was held today headed by the minister of education and science Armen Ashotyan. ...
GOD FORBID A WORST THING…
Interview with the member of the Armenian National Congress, Doctor of Economy Zoya TadevosyanThe authorities confirmed the rumors that they are negotiating the gas price with Russia. What consequences ...
GYUMRI MAYOR AT PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
Short ago, Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, RPA, has arrived at the office of the president where his fate will probably be decided. Note, yesterday, PAP member from Gyumri Samvel Balasanyan had gone to ...
IF VANO SIRADEGHYAN APPEARS, HE WILL BE ARRESTED: DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE
On July 20, deputy chief of police of Armenia Hunan Poghosyan was asked about the steps of the police in case the former minister of internal affairs of Armenia Vano Siradeghyan returns. Poghosyan stated ...
DECODING OF PHONE TALKS OF HARSNAKAR ACCUSED IS UNDERWAY
astinfo: Head of the Police Investigative Department Gagik Hambardzumyan dwelt on the Harsnakar incident today saying that the phone talks between the restaurant staff and Ruben Hairapetyan have not been ...
TOTAL CRIMES DECREASED
In the first quarter of 2012, the number of crimes committed in the republic decreased by 10.7 in comparison to the same period last year (8465 cases in 2011 and 7560 cases in 2012). The number of crimes ...
SERZH SARGSYAN AND GAREGIN II CONGRATULATED BAKO SAHAKYAN
On July 20, Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos Garegin II congratulated Bako Sahakyan for his reelection to the post of the president of Karabakh. Serzh Sargsyan noted in his message that his victory reiterates ...