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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Karabakh voters back sovereignty | Karabakh voters back sovereignty |
| (4 days later) | |
| The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a constitution declaring a sovereign state, election officials have said. | The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a constitution declaring a sovereign state, election officials have said. |
| A preliminary count showed more than 98% of those voting in the disputed former Soviet territory backed the declaration, officials announced. | A preliminary count showed more than 98% of those voting in the disputed former Soviet territory backed the declaration, officials announced. |
| The people are mainly ethnic-Armenian and want independence from Azerbaijan. | The people are mainly ethnic-Armenian and want independence from Azerbaijan. |
| Ethnic clashes after the collapse of the USSR led to armed conflict in the 1990s which killed up to 30,000 people. | Ethnic clashes after the collapse of the USSR led to armed conflict in the 1990s which killed up to 30,000 people. |
| 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. | 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 area, while completely surrounded by the rest of Azerbaijan, has been under ethnic Armenian control since the war. | The area, while completely surrounded by the rest of Azerbaijan, has been under ethnic Armenian control since the war. |
| Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto government is not officially recognised by any country. | |
| The territory's election commission said turnout was more than 80% - more than enough to make the referendum valid. | 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. | "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 rejected | Autonomy 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. |
| The Azeri government insists it must not be allowed to break away. | 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, our correspondent says. | 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. | 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. |