YEREVAN.- Presidential election held in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on July 19 were  fair, free and transparent, said Russian political analyst Andrey Areshev.

Areshev, expert at the Institute of Political and Social Studies of the Black Sea and Caspian Region, told reporters that nearly all the observers, among them representatives of Russia, EU states and Canada, gave high assessment of the election.

“A 75% voter turnout may serve an example for many CIS states. Moreover, the election results, in particular 30% of votes polled by the opposition candidate in competitive, democratic struggle and the fact he recognized the results, points at high level of organization,” he said.

As to the winner, 65% of votes prove that the country had changed for the better over the recent five years.

Andrey Areshev was a member of the group of observers from Russia. The political analyst said he had visited several regions of the Republic and capital Stepanakert.

Incumbent president Bako Sahakyan polled 47,095 votes, opposition candidate Vitaly Balasanyan – 22,967, while Arkady Soghomonyan – only 593.