In 7 Days, We Will Nominate My Candidacy if Shahramanyan is Not Elected Tomorrow, Says Samvel Babayan

My candidacy for the presidential election was not accepted because the relevant authorities unlawfully rejected my documents, claiming there was a registration issue. However, registration has nothing to do with citizenship; the court later reinstated it. We took it to the National Assembly, but it turned out we were late. This was stated by Samvel Babayan, former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army and former secretary of the Security Council, leader of the "United Homeland" party, in an interview with MediaHub, noting that the current situation is left to the future.

“In reality, everything here is unclear. Four political forces have nominated a single individual and are shouting that there should be unity. If there should be unity, then why were we not invited to that discussion? Their so-called unity is a formal thing. I believe that without us, this election will not succeed, as the votes will not be sufficient for election. We will see this tomorrow. If Shahramanyan is not elected tomorrow, there will be new elections in seven days, and at that time we will nominate my candidacy again,” he said in an interview with the media outlet.

Babayan noted that he hears accusations against him, claiming that he is provoking political tensions in this situation, but at the same time, it is unacceptable for him that a few individuals decide who will be the leader of the country.

When asked by the media about his previous declarations that he does not aspire to become president and considers the position of prime minister, he responded, “I do not rule out that I could be the prime minister, but the issue here is the political intrigues that are escalating the forces. We need to have a singular idea; yes, that is unity, but what unity is offered by these 4 forces? Samvel Shahramanyan has pro-Russian views and defends their interests. It is unacceptable for me that my people could defend the interests of another nation and become a tool in their hands. The Russian side says, 'You are Azerbaijan,' and this person who comes will adopt the same thesis. I say that we should be allowed to negotiate with Azerbaijan to understand our status, but you do not give that opportunity. They were against the road to Aghdam; now the same forces are saying at least let flour enter through Aghdam. At the same time, it is evident that these forces are against Armenia; they have turned Armenia into an enemy. How can I join this team?”

According to the media, the president of the "United Homeland" party stated that tomorrow supporters will hold a demonstration in front of the Artsakh National Assembly against Shahramanyan's election. “The people will demand tomorrow that the president is not elected without their opinion being taken into account,” Babayan added.

Earlier, we reported that the National Security Service of Artsakh had issued a statement indicating that due to the presidential elections in Artsakh, an internally tense situation had developed in the republic, which various political forces are trying to take advantage of by calling for gatherings and protests and attempting to destabilize the situation. It should be noted that the presidential election in Artsakh will take place tomorrow with a single candidate.