NKR PRESIDENT ARKADY GHUKASYAN ADDRESS TO PEOPLE OF NKR

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
24 Feb 07

Dear fellow countrymen, Today I again have to address you in
connection with the upcoming presidential election in
NKR. Unfortunately, certain mass media of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia
continue to abuse a topic which has been closed long ago ` the
possibility of my running a third term. Namely, attempts are made to
present my last year’s statement that second re-election of the
president is not expedient politically and morally as a game mislead
the public. These activities will do only harm to the international
reputation of Nagorno Karabakh which is committed to the European
values. Moreover, this abuse makes the society nervous and divides
it. In order to avoid insinuations on my intentions I considered it
necessary to make a statement in October which should have answered
all the questions connected with my running a third term.

However, one statement of the NKR president was not enough for a few
mass media and politicians. Apparently, they think the president must
confirm daily his unlikelihood to run a third term, provoking him to
take such a step with their slander. Of course, I could overlook the
inappropriate behavior of these people if they did not go on harming
the society with their actions. These people invent everything to
slander the president. Every event in our state and outside it, which
is directly related to me, is offered by them as a veiled intention of
the president to run in the presidential election again.

Meanwhile, every day ordinary citizens of NKR, representatives of
different political and non-governmental organizations, public
servants, members of parliament, our compatriots from Armenia, other
countries, foreign friends of Artsakh, as well as famous foreign
diplomats, political figures, philanthropists come up to me with
requests to run in the upcoming presidential election because the NKR
Constitution adopted by our people authorizes the head of state to run
for presidency. However, a dignified president cannot say one thing
and do another thing. I am deeply grateful to all the citizens and
foreign friends of our republic who endorse my home and foreign
policies, and sincerely wish that I be reelected for another term, and
I am stating again that I do not intend to run for the post of the NKR
president. Nevertheless, I already know the behavior of the political
abusers and their mass media and I am almost convinced that my address
will not put an end to detrimental talks on this topic.

There is nothing I can do about it. I think this is an incurable
disease. I am sorry for these people. I repeat that there can be no
more precious value than the international reputation of my homeland,
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is essential to the international
recognition of NKR.

24-02-2007

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress