Armenian opposition to oust separatist Karabakh leader – Azeri paper

Ekspress, Baku
4 Apr 04

Text of Huseyn Bakuvi report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 4
April headlined “It has started: A coup is being plotted in Xankandi”

A new separatist movement, Karabakh-88, was set up in Xankandi
[Stepanakert] yesterday. Eduard Agabekyan and candidate of physics and
mathematics Gagik Bakhunts, members of the initiative group of the
movement, held a news conference in this connection. They said that
the major goal of the new movement was “to reach world recognition of
the state independence” of Nagornyy Karabakh.

“We are the people who laid the foundation of the national liberation
movement of Nagornyy Karabakh. Therefore, we believe that apart from
having recognized Karabakh’s independence, we have the right to try to
establish a fair and normal government here. Our major goal is to
restore the status quo of the national spirit of the Karabakh
Armenians of 1988,” Bakhunts said.

In addition, Bakhunts and Agabekyan said that they were ready for
cooperation with all political forces in Karabakh, adding that there
should be “the rule of law rather than dictatorship”.

In analysts’ opinion, the strengthening of the opposition camp in
Armenia and the growing tendency towards a power change in the country
have also affected Nagornyy Karabakh.

The latest issue of Masis Weekly newspaper reported that the
“unexpected” opposition activity was registered in Nagornyy Karabakh:
“Armenia’s Peoples, National Unity, Ramkavar Azatakan and four more
opposition parties, as well as the Justice bloc, want to overthrow
Karabakh leader Arkadiy Gukasyan. To be more precise, they are going
to start the process to oust Armenian President Robert Kocharyan not
in Armenia, as many believe, but in Nagornyy Karabakh, by neutralizing
Gukasyan.”

The Karabakh-88 movement is also said to target Gukasyan who “has
sidelined true nationalist forces from the government and created
dictatorship”. It is no coincidence that at yesterday’s news
conference, Bakhunts and Agabekyan spoke about “the rule of law rather
than dictatorship”.

Apart from this, the Nagornyy Karabakh Communists merged with the
Yerkrapa union of volunteers to set up the Path of Justice and
Salvation bloc. As is clear from the title of the bloc, Armenia’s
Justice bloc is behind this organization.