NKR incumbent president wins the elections

STEPANAKERT, July 20. /ARKA/. Incumbent President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan received 66.70% of votes in the presidential elections held in Karabakh on Thursday, the Central Electoral Commission reports following the final results.

According to the data, 47,085 constituents voted for Sahakyan. Former Defense Minister of Karabakh Vitaly Balasanyan received 32.50% (22,966 votes), and Academic Prorector at Stepanakert Branch of Armenian State Agrarian University Arkady Soghomonyan- 0.80% (594).

The turnout totaled 73.43% as 72,833 out of the registered 98,909 constituents polled. 

Over 60 observers from Russia, Armenia, the United States, France, Canada, Ireland, Poland, Cyprus, Germany, Belgium, Israel, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic monitored the elections. Dozens of journalists from Armenia and foreign countries arrived in Karabakh to cover one of the most important event in the republic.

These presidential elections were the fifth in the history of NKR. The first president of NKR was Robert Kocharyan (1994), who headed Armenian Cabinet three years later, and was elected as Armenia’s President in 1998. In 1997-2007 NKR President was Arkady Ghukasyan.

Incumbent President Bako Sahakyan won the elections of July 19, 2007. The international observers and experts say any elections in Karabakh are one of the most exemplary elections in the region. -0-