03-09-2010 09:35:39

Armenia to table Karabakh ‘independence’ bill

YEREVAN – An Armenian opposition party has offered Speaker Ovik Abrahamyan to review on October 5 a draft law on recognizing the “independence” of the so-called Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the Heritage party told Russian RIA Novosti news agency Thursday.

“The faction sent its decision to Parliament Speaker Abrahamyan stipulating that the bill is urgent,” a Heritage spokesman has said. “According to the regulations of the Armenian National Assembly, the draft law will be included in a parliamentary session’s agenda without a vote.”

Nagorno Karabakh is an Azerbaijani region under Armenian occupation where ethnic Armenians are running a self-proclaimed republic. Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war over the mountainous region in the early 1990s. Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since then.

Heritage is a liberal-democratic party established in 2002 by former foreign minister Raffi Ovannisian. It is represented in the Armenian parliament by seven members.

TAGS: Armenia, opposition party, Speaker Ovik Abrahamyan, “independence”, Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Heritage party, Armenian National Assembly, Raffi Ovannisian