Ghoukassian elected president of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

Arkady Ghoukassian, the 40-year-old foreign minister of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, was elected president on September 1, with some 85 percent of the vote, defeating two rival candidates.

Voter turnout was estimated at 84.7 percent of the region's 89,000 eligible voters, according to RFE/RL's Stepanakert correspondent.

Some 40 international monitors, including a group of Russian State Duma deputies, monitored the poll.
No procedural violations were reported, but a Karabakh army officer was shot dead in a clash with Azerbaijani forces near the front-line town of Agdam, east of Karabakh.
Ghoukassian, a philologist and former journalist, was appointed foreign minister in July 1993. His candidacy was endorsed by the Armenian leadership. Robert Kocharian, former Karabakh president and now Armenian prime minister, told Noyan Tapan on 1 September that he would vote for Ghoukassian.

ARF endorses Ghoukassian's candidacy

ARF Bureau congratulates Arkady Ghoukassian

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau, in a letter released on September 3, extended its congratulations to Nagorno-Karabakh's newly-elected president Arkady Ghoukassian.

In the letter, the ARF Bureau states that "these elections testify to the irrefutable right and ability of the Karabakh Armenians to choose their own faith democratically."

The Bureau letter further states:

"We are confident that despite the continuous and relentless external pressures, and difficult socio-economic situation, under your leadership Karabakh Armenians will continue their struggle for the independence of Karabakh, as well as the strengthening of its security.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation rank and file and organizations reiterate their support for the people of Karabakh and their brave struggle. We also declare our commitment in pursuing Karabakh's national will and efforts."

United for Karabakh

STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources) A conference of Armenian political parties and public organizations, brought together by Armenian intellectuals and the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, took place in Stepanakert July 6 to 7.

The round table was attended by leaders of the Constitutional Right Union,Self-Determination Union, Democratic Party of Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutiune, Communist Party of Armenia, Scientific-Industrial and Civil Union, National State Party, as well as representatives of public and political organizations, outstanding Armenian scientists and artists.

Greeting the participating political and public figures, Acting President and Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Leonard Petrossian stressed that the Karabakh issue, as a national issue, demands the unity of Armenian political forces. He emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict through joint effort.

The two-day closed-door conference hosted a series of discussions particularly in support of the statehood of Nagorno-Karabakh. The direction of activities to be undertaken by Armenian political parties and public organizations was also addressed. Participants pointed out that the interests and rights of the Armenians of Karabakh remain pivotal. They also stressed that any resolution should be reached at through national accord.

The conferees issued a joint statement calling on all political parties and public organizations in Armenia and Diaspora to join the statement. The statement particularly reads that the conference considers numerous decisions by the legislative and the executive bodies of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh following which the Karabakh people had de facto realized its right to independence from Azerabaijan as a basis for a comprehensive settlement of the Karabakh problem. It is emphasized that an international settlement of the problem should be found based on a balanced use of all norms of international law with regard to the current state of affairs and excluding any decision foisted from outside. It is also mentioned that to counterbalance the clauses of the statement made by the OSCE acting Chairman in Lisbon, it is necessary to boost propagate the legal grounds of the Nagorno Karabakh problem at international and other circles.

The statement calls on all Armenians to promote the restoration of Karabakh's economy and to consolidate efforts for further improvement of Karabakh's defense and security system.

Concluding the round table, Leonard Petrossian described the forum as a first step towards unification of all political forces of the nation, hoping for further development and intensification of that process in the name of solving national problems.

Not all political organizations of Armenia were represented at the meeting. The ruling Armenian National Movement and the Shamiram women's party did not participate in the conference.

The National Democratic Union and the Democratic Liberal Party of Armenia in separate statements issued later joined in the Stepanakert Declaration.

"Our invincibility is in our unity, and all Armenians must unite around the Karabakh problem," Karabakh Defense Minister Samvel Babayan stated refering to the July 6-7 seminar on resolving the Karabakh issue.

"For this we voiced willingness to engage in dialogue with everyone. The most important thing for us was to find out the real position of Armenia's political leaders," Babayan continued; "The time has come when we must know the stance of the main political forces.

"Acknowledgment of their position will help us determine our future course of action."

"In solving the Karabakh problem we should have the unity of all public and political forces, an atmosphere of dialogue leading to a consensus," said Rouben Hakopian, representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, welcoming this step taken by the Karabakh authorities. "The only way is to consider all approaches and to have national accord," said the ARF leader.

The ARF Central Committee of Artsakh issued a statement calling on public, political and cultural organizations in Armenia, Karabakh and the Diaspora to unite and support the Stepanakert statement.

Armenian-American leaders voice concern over Karabakh

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A delegation representing the leading Armenian American organizations on May 15 met with the Clinton Administration National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and a team of senior National Security Council and State Department officials to address serious shortcomings in the Administration’s policy on Nagorno-Karabakh.

The hour-long White House meeting coincided with a meeting in Washington of the US, Russian, and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is mediating the conflict.

“Although serious differences remain, we are encouraged by the open and frank exchange of views between the Armenian-American leadership and the National Security Advisor,” said Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“This meeting was portrayed by the National Security Advisor as the first in a series that he would like to convene with the leadership delegation. We both welcome and support this spirit of dialogue. Armenian- Americans have deeply-held views on the right to self-determination of the people of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. We are committed to supporting all efforts leading to a lasting and equitable peace which respects Karabakh’s independence within secure borders,” he added.

Among the senior Administration officials joining the National Security Advisor at the meeting were Amb. James Collins, State Department Senior Coordinator for the NIS; Amb. Joseph Presel, Special Negotiator for Nagorno-Karabakh; Lynn Pascoe, who will soon assume the role of Special Negotiator for Nagorno-Karabakh. A leading member of the Armenian American delegation was ARF Bureau member Garo Armenian, representing the Armenian National Committee of America.