Azerbaijani FM: All international observers in so-called "parliament elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh will be declared persona non grata

"The so-called "parliament elections" to be held by the separatist regime of the Nagorno-Karabakh are illegal and all international observers wishing to observe the course of these "elections" will be declared persona non grata. The Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan's land and anyone, who visited the area without Azerbaijan's permission, is declared persona non grata, and later he can not visit Azerbaijan," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov told Trend today.

The Nagorno-Karabakh's Separatist regime will hold parliamentary elections May 23. The Armenian media reported that the former OSCE Special Representative for South Caucasus and present representative of the Paris office of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, Maurice Bono will observe the "elections".

The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry earlier made a statement on so-called "parliament elections" in the Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Any kind of elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan may be recognized as fair and free once the expelled Azerbaijani population takes full, direct and equal part in their conduct in lawful and democratic environment equally to the Armenian population of the region. Holding such elections will be possible after the withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of life in the region, creation of necessary conditions for restoration of the dialogue and cooperation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh," the statement says.

"Conduct of such "elections" gravely violates the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law, since they are held in absence of the original Azerbaijani population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and, therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever," the ministry reported.

"If any individual is going to monitor the "parliamentary election" in the Nagorno-Karabakh - it is his/her right, but the fact that the former EU Special Representative for South Caucasus, a person once endowed with quite a lot of power, who was supposed to deal with the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the stabilization of situation in the South Caucasus, causes surprising and doubt that he was ever objective while occupying this post," Azerbaijani political scientist Fikret Sadikhov said.

That's why for so many years we are fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, namely diplomats such as Bono? took a one-sided position and supported separatism in Azerbaijan and were not interested in resolving the conflict and deoccupation of the Azerbaijani territories, he said.

"In fact, it is a real reflection of the reality, which Azerbaijan faced for many years, trying to solve this prolonged conflict situation", Sadikhov said.


/Trend/