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Building and Strengthening Democratic Institutions
Position Paper June 2002
Background
The Nagorno Karabakh Republic was established in 1991
following an internationally monitored free referendum for independence
from Azerbaijan and the Soviet Union. The referendum was conducted in
accordance with the provisions of the then active Soviet Law on Secession,
adopted on April 3, 1990.
Eighteen days after the referendum, the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic held its first democratic parliamentary elections. These elections
marked the beginning of a difficult and complex process of democratic
state building amidst intensifying Azerbaijani military aggression.
Since then, three presidential, three parliamentary and two local multiparty
elections have been in Nagorno Karabakh, all monitored by international
observers. According to NKR legislation, the President is the head of
the executive branch of the government. The government, headed by the
Prime Minister, consists of eleven Ministries and four State Departments.
The Parliament, being the highest legislative and representative body
of the Republic, has thirty-three members with six Standing Committees.
The latest reform of the judiciary system introduced a two-tiered court
system, with the Supreme Court serving as the court of appeals.
The government of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is
committed to democratic reform, liberalization of the economy, and protection
of human rights. Several newspapers, radio and television stations operate
freely in Nagorno Karabakh, some of them backed by opposition parties.
With the active encouragement of the government, several international
humanitarian organizations and numerous local non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) work on the territory of Nagorno Karabakh. NKR authorities significantly
liberalized investment legislation in order to attract foreign capital,
critical to the restoration of its war-shattered economy.
The NKR government is dedicated to the peaceful resolution
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The constructive dialogue with the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which began
in 1992, continues today through its main negotiating forum for the
conflict - the OSCE Minsk Group. As an immediate party to the conflict,
Nagorno Karabakh supports the implementation of confidence-building
measures with Azerbaijan, which could significantly reduce the level
of hostility between these societies and promote a better understanding
of each other's interests.
Position
The Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a young nation committed
to enhancing democracy, transitioning to market a economy and building
a rule-of-law civil society. However, the democratic processes and building
of institutions within the republic, underway since its independence
from Azerbaijan, must be strengthened and reinforced through democracy-building
programs.
We believe that strengthening of democracy throughout
the South Caucasus will create a strong basis for long lasting peace
and prosperity for the region. Nagorno Karabakh is unjustly excluded
from internationally sponsored democracy-building programs. We strongly
urge the U.S. Congress to initiate and support inclusion of NKR in all
U.S. and multinational civil society programs.
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