Wednesday, February 6 2019 16:18

ArmInfo. Former Minister of Defense of Nagorno-Karabakh, Samvel Babayan, plans to run for the upcoming presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. He  stated this in an interview with Radio Azatutyun.

Taking into account the fact that for the nomination is necessarypermanent residence in  Karabakh for 10 years, Samvel Babayanplans in March of this year to  begin collecting signatures among residentsKarabakh on this issue. As  Babayan noted, if we succeedcollect the required number of  signatures, he will be able to participate in the elections.<The  Constitution allows, if someone collects from 5 to 10 percent of  signatures, then he will be able to participate [in the elections].   We will deal with this in March, "Babayan said. On the question of  who initiates the collection of signatures, Babayan replied:  <People>. "These are people, supporters, those who want me to come  back," he explained."

There will be a collection of signatures, we will collect a  sufficient number of signatures and even twice as much to prove that,  firstly, people want me to come back, and secondly, they want to make  a move," added Samvel Babayan.According to the former Minister of  Defense of Karabakh, the possible obstacles to the collection of  signatures from the current authorities are not a problem for him.  <This is not a problem for me. This is their problem: During the  penultimate meeting with the President of Karabakh, Bako Sahakyan, I  said: "We draw the line, we forget everything - conflicts, problems".  It seemed to me that they should have understood that the situation  of Armenia and Karabakh today is so serious that solving personal  problems, conflicts with each other is the wrong approach, because we  can lose the state, lose the territory.  You should not  do this>,  said Samvel Babayan.

 On the question of whether Bako Sahakyan spent such a "devil", the  former defense minister Karabakh said: "He did it or not, it will be  seen soon".Samvel Babayan also assured that in 2017 Serzh Sargsyan  informed the Artsakh authorities about the need for concessions on  the Karabakh issue.Meanwhile, ex- Deputy Prime Minister of Artsakh  Artur Aghabekyan wrote on his Facebook page that the only eligible  candidate for the presidency of Artsakh in 2020 is Ex-Prime Minister  of the Republic, now presidential adviser Bako Sahakyan on special  assignment Araik Arutyunyan. According to him, there is no  alternative to Harutyunyan in this post. Agabekyan promised to  present his position in more detail in the near future.Secretary of  the Artsakh Security Council Vitaly Balasanyan did not rule out his  participation in the presidential race. He said that if nominated he  would become a candidate from the people. Note that Samvel Babayan in  2000 was sentenced to 14 years for attempting to assassinate the  second President of Artsakh, Arkady Ghukasyan. In 2004 he was  pardoned by the same Ghukasyan. And in 2017, he was sentenced to 6  years in prison for attempting to smuggle Igla MANPADS into Armenia  from Georgia. In 2018, he was released by the decision of the Court  of Cassation.