ArmInfo. Despite the fact that less than two weeks are left before the election day for the presidential and parliament of Artsakh, in the NKR capital, Stepanakert, only the election banners of the candidates remind of this.
Such calm reigning in the cities of the republic during the pre-election period may seem strange, but this is a feature of all pre-election processes that take place in Artsakh. This is a plus, and in this context, the role of presidential candidates is great, who in their speeches note that they do not want to polarize society, and oppose the establishment of an atmosphere of mistrust in the country. At one of the meetings with presidential candidate Araik Harutyunyan, attended by ArmInfo correspondent, Harutyunyan was directly asked if he was ready to congratulate one of his competitors on the victory if such were the results of the vote, to which the latter gave a positive answer.
According to our estimates, which are shared by other observers, today in Artsakh there are 3 favorites for the presidency of the country: Vitaly Balasanyan, MasisMailyan and Araik Harutyunyan. It is at their headquarters that the most active and visible work is going on. The headquarters organize meetings of voters with candidates in the most remote parts of Artsakh, and at these meetings the older generation of Artsakh is most active. It is they who ask candidates various questions, starting with specific problems of the village and ending with the question of determining the international status of the NKR.
The leaders of small communities are more interested in socio-economic problems, which are more than enough in Artsakh. In an interview with ArmInfo correspondent, the head of the village Sarnakhbyur Gagik Aleksanyan stated: "The population of the village is getting smaller every year. We are very concerned about the issue related to the rural school, where only 5 students study. This year, four of them will finish elementary school and will move to another village to continue their studies there. What will become of our school? We would not want to close it, especially since people will be left without work."
Aleksanyan believes that a program for the settlement of the village is needed, and he raises this question to all presidential candidates who visit Sarnakhbyur. "We would like for new people to settle in the village, families to form, and our population would grow, because the gene pool of any people is formed in the countryside," said the head of the community.
It should be noted that the election situation in Artsakh was also influenced by the global situation with the coronavirus pandemic. The NKR CEC issued a statement calling on the presidential candidates, to the extent possible, to refrain from mass events. In turn, NKR President Bako Sahakyan held a working meeting with the heads of the district administrations of the republic and Mayor Stepanakert. During the meeting, Sahakyan stressed the need for all preventive measures in the regions and the capital in the framework of the fight against coronavirus.
It should be noted that on March 31 presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Artsakh.