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High turnout in Nagorno-Karabakh Karabakh voters back sovereignty
(about 10 hours later)
There has been a high turnout in a referendum on a proposed constitution for the disputed former Soviet territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a constitution declaring a sovereign state, election officials have said.
Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh hope the vote will take the region a step closer to becoming an independent state. A preliminary count showed more than 98% of those voting in the disputed former Soviet territory backed the declaration, officials announced.
A war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the early 1990s killed up to 30,000 people and left the territory under ethnic Armenian control. The people are mainly ethnic-Armenian and want independence from Azerbaijan.
But the Azeri government insists that it remains part of Azerbaijan. Ethnic clashes after the collapse of the USSR led to armed conflict in the 1990s which killed up to 30,000 people.
The head of the election commission in Nagorno-Karabakh announced that the turnout was high enough to make the referendum valid. Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh hope the vote will take the small mountainous region a step closer to becoming an independent state, says the BBC's correspondent in the region, Matthew Collin.
The result is expected be a strong endorsement for the proposed constitution, which would declare this small mountainous enclave to be a sovereign, democratic republic. The referendum came 12 years after the ceasefire which ended the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The area, while completely surrounded by the rest of Azerbaijan, has been under ethnic Armenian control since the war.
But with many of the one million people displaced by the war still unable to return to their homes, the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh still provokes bitter resentments in the region. Armenia is the only country that recognises Nagorno-Karabakh's government.
The territory's election commission said turnout was more than 80% - more than enough to make the referendum valid.
"According to preliminary results, the constitution is adopted and 10 December from now can be declared as a Constitution Day," election commission chief Sergey Nasibyan told Reuters.
Autonomy rejectedAutonomy rejected
The separatist president of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkady Gukasyan, said this was a historic chance to establish a democratic state.The separatist president of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkady Gukasyan, said this was a historic chance to establish a democratic state.
But he admitted it did not mean the international community would immediately recognise Nagorno-Karabakh's independence.But he admitted it did not mean the international community would immediately recognise Nagorno-Karabakh's independence.
Armenia supports the region's ambition to become independent. The Azeri government insists it must not be allowed to break away.
But Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan, and the Azeri government insists it must not be allowed to break away.
It said the referendum was illegal, and could damage the peace process.It said the referendum was illegal, and could damage the peace process.
Azerbaijan has offered Nagorno-Karabakh widespread autonomy as part of a peace deal.Azerbaijan has offered Nagorno-Karabakh widespread autonomy as part of a peace deal.
But that has been rejected by the separatist authorities.But that has been rejected by the separatist authorities.
The conflicting opinions about the referendum simply demonstrate that even after years of peace talks, a solution to this long-running dispute remains hard to find. The conflicting opinions about the referendum simply demonstrate that even after years of peace talks, a solution to this long-running dispute remains hard to find, our correspondent says.
With many of the one million people displaced by the war still unable to return to their homes, the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh still provokes bitter resentments in the region.