ARKADY GHUKASYAN WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD DE FACTO

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[05:51 pm] 24 July, 2007

Leader of the "National Democratic Party " Shavarsh Kocharyan considers
that Nagorno-Karabakh has made two important steps towards democratic
maintenance. One of those steps was the adoption of the Constitution,
by which the NKR concluded a vital development stage; the second
one was the beginning of a new stage and new procedures. The NKR
Constituion may be considered one of the best constitutions in the CIS.

"The international community is in a ridiculous state and announces
that it does not recognize the NKR Constitution", says Shavarsh
Kocharyan, adding that recognizing or not recognizing a Constitution
was absurd.

The other important factor, according to Shavarsh Kocharyan, was
the fact that the functioning president having the opportunity to be
nominated for the third period does not do accept the nomination.

After the amendments to the Constitution, Arkady Ghukasyan could
run for presidency for the third time but he did not. "Thus, he
reestablished morality that was forgotten", noticed Shavarsh Kocharyan.

Mr Kocharyan said he noticed many positive things during the
presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh.

For the first time a second serious candidate was nominated for the
post of the president, namely Masis Mayilyan, who congratulated the
elected president. Mr Kocharyan was amazed by this since that was
not accepted in our political practice.

Shavarsh Kocharyan said one should envy the atmosphere in the NKR –
no tension, no distrust. "It was like a resting place, they came voted
and left, people did not gather, no tensed atmosphere prevailed. People
realized the importance of elections and were so calm", said Shavarsh
Kocharyan and told how the proxies of Masis Mayilyan and Bako Sahakyan
followed the elections amicably.

And when the observers asked Shavarsh Kocharyan how it happened that
even the opposition parties supported the candidature of Sahakyan,
Kocharyan answered, that the NKR people realized the external menacing
danger and did everything not to disrupt the public: "Recognize the
independence of that country, and you will see that the opposition will
have its candidate", Shavarsh Kocharyan ensured the foreign observers.

Shavarsh Kocharyan pointed out another peculiarity of the NKR political
system. Since it is smaller both in size and the population is small,
the principle of collective leading is functioning there. Thus, the
former President Arkady Ghukasyan is well-aware of the negotiating
process and will have a steering role in NKR governing activities.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH HIGHER THAN KOSOVO

Kosovo’s independence can serve as a precedent for recognizing
Karabakh’s independence, Mr Kocharyan said and suggested Karabagh’s
merits be more positively evaluated. Nagorno-Karabakh is in a better
position than Kosovo since Kosovo is preserved by international
peace-keeping troops while Nagorno-Karabakh protects everything
with its own power. Thus, Karabakh proves that it can stand for
its independence. Mr Kocharyan said Armenia’s mistake was that it
negotiated with

Azerbaijan instead of Karabakh, by shifting the problem of national
self-determination into a territorial dispute.

One journalist noted that maybe the NKR president insisted on official
Yerevan’s involvement in negotiations. Shavarsh Kocharyan agreed
with that point, but noted that Karabakh should participate in the
negotiations as a subject, and Armenia should guarantee that.