Power Changing in Karabakh, New Leader of Separatists - V. Balasanyan

Baku / 29.12.20 / Turan: On the New Year's Eve, rumors of a change of power in Karabakh acquired a wave of clear outlines. A week ago, incumbent leader Arayik Harutyunyan announced that he was leaving politics without giving the name of his successor. However, today it became known - it is the head of the "Security Council of Karabakh" Vitaly Balasanyan.

In an interview with local TV, Balasanyan made a number of loud statements, which can be regarded as a keynote speech. In particular, he said that the Karabakh army is coming under the control of the Security Council.

"In the near future we will create border troops and regular armed forces, which will be subordinate to the Security Council," Balasanyan said. In addition, a reserve of contract soldiers, the militia, as well as the police and the national security service, reinforced by battalions, will be created.

Balasanyan announced a wave of religious sects, drug addiction and drunkenness.

“I appeal to all sectarian movements and their offices to close all these offices as soon as possible.

We are adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and there should be no other movements in Artsakh," Balasanyan said, threatening to expel drunkards, drug addicts and sectarians from Karabakh.

Then he demanded that the leaders of Karabakh close their Facebook pages. In addition, he warned officials that using social media during working hours would be punishable by dismissal.

Thus, the new leader of the Karabakh separatists intends to create a "war communism" system with the maximum centralization of political and economic power and a single ideology, which will allow him to keep the situation under control. Logically, the next step should be the “nationalization” of property.

As for Balasanyan himself (1959), he is a well-known field commander from Askeran. He was involved in the genocide in Khojaly and the occupation of Kelbajar and Aghdam, and was a participant in other hostilities in the early 90s. He is a member of the Dashnaktsutyun party. He has held high positions in the Karabakh army and has repeatedly run for the post of "President of Karabakh" in 2012 and 2019.

Speaking purely Azerbaijani, Balasanyan was friends with Allahverdi Bagirov, the commander of the Aghdam self-defense forces, before the start of the Karabakh conflict.

He does not hide his sympathy for Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan, and sharply and has publicly condemned the policy of Nikol Pashinyan's government. -02B-