Shahramanyan is one step away from being elected "president", Samvel Babayan negotiates with Baku, and Ruben Vardanyan threatens to fight against everyone

Baku/07.09.23/Turan: It seems that the new leader of Karabakh separatists will be Samvel Shahramanyan, who was appointed "state minister" a few days ago.

The election of the "president" will take place on 9 September at a session of the "parliament," Radio Liberty's Armenian service reports. However, four out of five factions have already nominated Shahramanyan's candidacy. 

Samvel Babayan, leader of the second largest faction in the "parliament," said that members of his "United Motherland Party" will not participate in the vote. He made it clear that he did not agree with Shahramanyan's candidacy. Babayan had previously tried to put forward his own candidature for the post of "president", but found no support among the Karabakh elite.

At the same time, he already behaved like the leader of Karabakh, stating that he was negotiating with Baku and had submitted proposals to Azerbaijan on overcoming the humanitarian crisis. At the same time, he did not specified to whom and through what channels he submitted these proposals and what response he received.

Babayan outlines his proposal only in general terms: first, to achieve mutual trust with Azerbaijanis and then move to a political solution. He claims to have information that the "Nagorno-Karabakh authorities" are also in daily contact with Baku.

Another contender for power, Russian businessman and former "state minister" Ruben Vardanyan, has been left out of the race and has not received support. Nevertheless, he promises to fight against any government that recognises Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

As for Samvel Shahramanyan (born 1978), he was previously head of the "Karabakh Security Service", then "Minister of Sport and Youth" and last week former "President" Araik Harutyunyan appointed Shahramanyan "state minister". -0-