KARABAKH’S GHUKASIAN NAMES FAVORED SUCCESSOR
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
April 20 2007

Arkady Ghukasian has effectively lent support to plans by the chief of
his security service to succeed him as president of the unrecognized
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), it emerged on Friday.

A senior member of Ghukasian’s Democratic Artsakh Movement (ZhAM)
party said the governing party has decided to back Bako Sahakian,
chief of the NKR’s National Security Service, during a presidential
election scheduled for July 19.

"The Democratic Party of Artsakh has approved the idea of supporting
Bako Sahakian’s candidacy," Vahram Atanesian told RFE/RL by phone.

Other officials in Stepanakert said Sahakian has already filed
for registration as an election candidate. Masis Mayilian, the
Armenian-controlled territory’s deputy foreign minister, is widely
expected to be his main challenger.

According to Atanesian, the ZhAM is now trying to get the three
other parties represented in the Karabakh parliament to also endorse
Sahakian. One of those parties, Azat Hayrenik, is a junior partner in
Ghukasian’s coalition cabinet. The two others, the Karabakh branch
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and the
Movement-88 party, are in opposition.

A local Dashnaktsutyun leader, Artur Mosiyan, confirmed that his
party is holding talks with the ZhAM on the issue but would not say
whether it is prepared to support the Ghukasian-backed candidate.

Dashnaktsutyun issued a statement earlier this month harshly
criticizing the Karabakh government’s policies.

The Karabakh parliament set the election date on April 4 after
Ghukasian, in power since 1997, reaffirmed his decision not seek a
third term in office.