Samvel Babayan's Office Statement on Reports of Agreements with Armenian Authorities

The former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army, Lieutenant General Samvel Babayan's office has issued a statement. The statement notably mentions: "For some time now, our office has been receiving numerous letters from our compatriots expressing concern over recent media reports suggesting that Samvel Babayan has engaged in certain agreements with Armenian authorities and other forces. We hasten to neutralize this black veil that attempts to perpetuate misconceptions in society.

Samvel Babayan is an ideological figure; for nearly thirty years, he has proven himself as an unyielding and steadfast individual, never yielding to any phenomena or especially to individuals. An ideological leader does not need any of this. He and his ideas have not been sold, are not being sold, and will not be sold. The people gathered around him are carriers of this idea; thus, by strengthening this ideological foundation, the team is entirely occupied with party-building work, involving the best individuals and developing programs.

The team is moving forward along the path it has chosen and does not need various “ideas” or to join any other power. Regarding rallies, it should be noted that they are always in effect as long as there are illegalities in the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh.

On August 29, during the session of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Artsakh, the validity of signatures was confirmed, providing the legal basis for the authorized representative of the civil initiative to submit the certified signature collection package to the National Assembly of Artsakh for discussion within a 15-day timeframe (according to the procedure established by the CEC Decision N4-N of February 18, 2019). We plan to submit the package to the National Assembly of Artsakh next week.

Taking advantage of the lengthy nature of these processes, many are trying to associate this silence with some agreements pertaining to their circles. They are attempting to spread these false reports within society, but they do not realize that it will only become acceptable for their narrow meeting of allies. If you are so honest and confident in your fairness, we are sure you will bring this project to a referendum and allow the people to decide whether they see this or that individual as a presidential candidate or not. You speak of democracy, fairness, and honesty; give the people that opportunity, endorse this project, and put it to a referendum—to verify for yourselves whether the people are for or against this project. After all, nearly 20,000 people have already shown their approval; will these people's opinions be disregarded?

On the other hand, if you are inclined toward re-election, then stay silent; honesty, fairness, and especially democracy are kilometers away from you; it is not yours, forget it.

Therefore, dear compatriots, everything possible and impossible is being done within the framework of existing laws to organize our work for the sake of stability, peace, and effective work. All of our upcoming actions will also be illuminated by our office. We urge you not to listen to false news and to find answers to all your questions in our office's publications.