AZE.US
Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar Velizade has questioned the impartiality of Nathalie Loiseau, the French member of the European Parliament who chaired the European Parliament’s election observation mission in Armenia.
Velizade made the remarks after Armenia held its parliamentary elections on June 7, with polling stations closed and vote counting under way.
Writing on Facebook, Velizade said international observers are expected to provide objective assessments of voting, the election process and compliance with democratic standards.
But he argued that Loiseau’s long record on the Karabakh issue raises serious questions about whether she can be viewed as neutral in the South Caucasus context.
“Nathalie Loiseau is the last person who can speak about objectivity,” Velizade wrote.
According to him, Loiseau has for years been among the European politicians most active in promoting resolutions and declarations critical of Azerbaijan over the former Karabakh conflict. He said she repeatedly backed initiatives aimed at increasing pressure on Baku and, in practice, took the side of one party to the former conflict.
Velizade also pointed to what he described as a shift in Loiseau’s current rhetoric, saying she now speaks in favor of a peace agenda in the region.
“Of course, times have changed, and if you want to stay relevant, you need to know how to change shoes on the move,” he wrote.
The analyst said this raises a legitimate question about the credibility of any assessment issued by a politician who, in his view, has shown a clear political bias on one of the most sensitive issues in the South Caucasus.
“When a person co-authors numerous declarations that consistently accuse only one side and ignore the complexity of the conflict, can such a person be described as objective and impartial?” Velizade wrote.
Armenia’s election was closely watched in the region because of its possible impact on Yerevan’s foreign policy course, relations with Russia and the peace process with Azerbaijan.
AZE.US