ARMENIA'S PRESS REPORTS ON REFERENDUM IN "NKR"

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001705 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV AM AJ SUBJECT: ARMENIA'S PRESS REPORTS ON REFERENDUM IN "NKR" Sensitive but unclassified. Pleast treat accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) The Armenian media widely covered the constitutional referendum held December 10 in the "Nagorno Karabakh Republic." According to preliminary results, the constitution passed by 98.6 percent, with an 87 percent voter turnout. Newspapers complained at the international community's refusal to recognize the referendum. President Kocharian released a statement congratulating the people of the "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" for the conduct of "democratic" elections. The OSCE Minsk Group statement critical of the referendum (posted by the Embassy) has not yet gotten broad play in Armenia. ¶2. (SBU) A link to a page devoted to stories on the referendum popped up on the Russian-language Regnum news site. Lragir.am featured an interview with Kocharian security adviser Garnik Isaghulian, who pushed aside questions of the international community's reaction. "Sometimes it is not important what the international community will say. Sometimes it is much more important how people are guided in implementing their goals," Isaghulian told the media outlet. He also said the adoption of the constitution would demonstrate the "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" was an established state. ¶3. (SBU) President Kocharian's statement congratulated the residents of N-K on the referendum, saying they had "proved once again their readiness to live freely." Kocharian also said that the fact that international observers had found the "democratic" voting to be in compliance with international standards, the referendum "became another base for the establishment of statehood." GODFREY