Opposition outraged by decision to hold election in isolated NKR communities

Residents of communities isolated due to coronavirus are voting at presidential election in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). The leaders of the "National Revival" and "New Artsakh" Parties said that holding elections in coronavirus pestholes is unacceptable.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 9, residents of three communities – Mirik, Moshatag and Tsitsernavank – were isolated due to the coronavirus. On April 12, the emergency regime was introduced in the entire NKR. However, the second round of presidential election was not postponed and has been launched today.

Residents of the above isolated communities – all of them are the Kashatag District – are voting in the second round of presidential election, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed at the NKR's Central Election Commission (CEC).

Ayk Khanumyan, an NKR's MP, and the leader of the "National Revival" Party, believes that holding election in communities, where a coronavirus infection pesthole was found, is categorically impossible.

"Authorities don't realize that without cancelling the voting in these settlements, they endanger all residents thereof," the MP is sure.

Tigran Petrosyan the chairman of the "New Artsakh" Party, who is a doctor himself, has noted that "our 'great minds' have no idea of how dangerous this virus is."

"Unfortunately, our Ministry of Public Health wouldn't think about people's health, and, like a pawn, does everything ordered from top. I think that holding election in places where there is a high degree of infection, like in Mirik, or where there is a suspicion of coronavirus, is at least stupid," Mr Petrosyan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 14, 2020 at 10:24 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.