Robert Kocharian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robert Sedraki Kocharian Ռոբերտ Սեդրակի Քոչարյան |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office February 4, 1998 |
|
| Preceded by | Levon Ter-Petrossian |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Born | August 31, 1954 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Spouse | Bella Kocharian |
Robert Sedraki Kocharian (IPA: [ɾobɛɹtʼ sɛdɹɑk’i kʰotʃʰɑɹjɑn], Armenian: Ռոբերտ Սեդրակի Քոչարյան) (born August 31, 1954) is the second president of the third republic of Armenia.
Contents |
[edit] Personal details
Kocharian, who speaks fluent Russian and English was born in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, at that time the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast under the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. He received his secondary education there and from 1972 to 1974 served in the Soviet Army. He and his wife, Bella Kocharian, have three children: Sedrak, Gayane, and Levon, each of whom was born in Stepanakert. His wife, also born in Stepanakert, is a graduate of the Yerevan Medical Institute and each of his children is an alumnus of Yerevan State University. On February 20, 2006, his elder son Sedrak had a daughter, who was named Bella. Sedrak is also widely known in Armenia as a monopolist in mobile phone retail. A government prosecutor, who tried to interfere in that business by selling a small number of mobile phones, was fired from his governmental position.[citation needed]
[edit] Early career
Kocharian's career began as an engineer at Stepanakert's electro-technical plant in 1971. After starting as a turner, he was later promoted to the post of mechanical engineer. In 1982, he graduated from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute's Electro-Technical Department with honors.
Kocharian was drawn to politics after joining a movement to cede the land of Nagorno-Karabakh, his birth place, from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR. Throughout the 1980s, he occupied various posts in Nagorno-Karabakh's communist youth league and party. By February 1988, Kocharian became one of the leaders in the Karabakh movement, as a member of the Krunk organization. After the organization broke apart, he founded the Miatsum (or Unification) organization. His influential political style brought him through the ranks of Soviet politics and by 1989, emerged as a deputy of Armenia's Supreme Soviet. In 1991, Kocharian was elected a deputy of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's Supreme Soviet of the first convocation.
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict plunged into all-out war. In August 1992, Kocharian became Chairman of the State Defense Committee of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (or NKR). He played a key role in mobilizing forces and stopping the Azerbaijani military offensive that threatened to overrun NKR and remove its population. This made it possible to turn the tide in the war for the Armenians. On May 12, a cease-fire was proclaimed and has largely held since. Kocharian was elected NKR's first President on December 24 by the decision of the NKR Supreme Soviet.
On March 20, 1997, Kocharian left his post as President when he was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia. In February 1998, Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian was forced to step down[1] after advocating concessions to Azerbaijan in the resolution of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh that many Armenians regarded as undermining their security. His key ministers, led by Kocharian, refused to accept a peace plan for Karabakh put forward by international mediators in September 1997. The plan, accepted by Ter-Petrossian and Azerbaijan, called for a "phased" settlement of the conflict which would postpone an agreement on Karabakh's status. That agreement was to accompany the return of most Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani territories around Karabakh and the lifting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades of Armenia.
[edit] Presidency
After Ter-Petrossian's resignation, Kocharian was elected Armenia's second President on March 30, 1998, defeating his main rival, Karen Demirchyan in early presidential marred by irregularities and violations as reported by international electoral observers. Complaints included that he had not been an Armenian citizen for ten years as required by the constitution.[1]
According to some experts, Kocharian was behind the 1999 shocking terrorist shootings in the Armenian parliament which eliminated the political leaders that could have competed with him on the national level.[2] In October 2001, thousands marched in the streets of Yereven on the second anniversary of the killings, demanding Kocharian's removal.[3]
In April 2002, less than a year before he was due to seek re-election, Kocharian closed Armenia's main independent TV station, A1 Plus, and kept them off the air. This resulted in criticism from the Council of Europe and international media watchdogs, but A1 Plus is still (2006) not allowed to broadcast.[2]
On March 5, 2003, Kocharian won re-election for a second term as President. While live television debate between the candidates in 2003 was a first in Armenia and in the CIS, Kocharian's re-election as President was marred by allegations of electoral fraud by both candidates' supporters. In early 2004, there were calls for Kocharian's resignation and opposition-led demonstrators took to the streets in support of demands for a referendum of "no confidence" in him.
[edit] Peace Negotiations
As President, Kocharian continued to negotiate a peaceful resolution with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Talks between Aliyev and Kocharian were held in September 2004 in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit. Reportedly, one of the suggestions put forward was the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the Azeri territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and holding referenda (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region. On February 10-11, 2006, Kocharian and Aliev met in Rambouillet, France to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict, including the withdrawal of troops, formation of international peace keeping troops, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.[4]
During the weeks and days before the talks in France, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen expressed cautious optimism that some form of an agreement was possible. French President Jacques Chirac met with both leaders separately and expressed hope that the talks would be fruitful. Contrary to the initial optimism, the Rambouillet talks did not produce any agreement, with key issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and whether Armenian troops would withdraw from Kalbajar still being contentious. The next session of the talks was held in March 2006 in Washington, D.C. [4] Russian President, Vladimir Putin applied pressure to both parties to settle the disputes.[5] Later in 2006 there was a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Minsk on 28 November and ministerial meetings in Moscow. "These talks did not initiate any progress, but I hope that time for solution will come." said Peter Semneby, EU envoy for the South Caucasuses.[6]
In September of 2006, in his congratulatory message on the occasion of 15th anniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Kocharian said "Karabakh people made their historical choice, protected their national interests in the forced war. Today, they build free and independent state." The accompanying message said that the duty of the Republic of Armenia and all the Armenians is to contribute to the strengthening and development of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as to the international acknowledgment of the republic.[7]
| Preceded by None |
Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh 1992–1994 |
Succeeded by Anushavan Danielyan |
| Preceded by None |
President of Nagorno-Karabakh 1994–1997 |
Succeeded by Arkady Ghoukasyan |
| Preceded by Armen Sarkissian |
Prime Minister of Armenia 1997–1998 |
Succeeded by Armen Darbinyan |
| Preceded by Levon Ter-Petrossian |
President of Armenia 1998– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Leaders of Armenia since 1918 |  |
|---|---|
| Democratic Republic of Armenia (1918-1920): Avetis Aharonian • Avetik Isahakyan • Avetis Aharonian
Soviet era (1921-1991): as part of Republic of Armenia (1991-), Presidents: Levon Ter-Petrossian • Robert Kocharian |
| Prime Ministers of Armenia | |
|---|---|
| Democratic Republic of Armenia (1918-1920): Hovhannes Katchaznouni • Alexander Khatisyan • Hamo Ohanjanyan • Simon Vratsian
Soviet era: as part of Republic of Armenia (1991-): Vazgen Manukyan • Gagik Harutyunyan • Khosrow Arutyunyan • Hrant Bagratyan • Armen Sargsyan • Robert Kocharian • Armen Darbinyan • Vazgen Sargsyan • Aram Sargsyan • Andranik Margaryan • Serzh Sargsyan |
| Roots of the conflict | Locations | Political leaders | Military leaders | Foreign involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Origins to the Soviet era: Soviet era Conflict escalation: Present 1 Involvement in the War Disputed |
|
|
Military aid: Conflict mediation: |
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Staff (4 February 1998) "Armenian president resigns" BBC World Service
- ^ a b (Dec 2006) "Robert Kocharian" New Internationalist 396: p. 25
- ^ Staff (26 October 2001) '"Rally demands Armenian head's resignation" BBC World Service
- ^ a b Ghazinyan, Aris (10 February 2006) "Drawing the Line: Maps meet principles in the search for a settlement over Nagorno Karabakh" Armenia Now
- ^ Staff (23 February 2006) "Putin Going to Invite Kocharian to Moscow to Discuss Karabakh Issue" YERKIR Armenian Online Newspaper
- ^ Staff (21 February 2007) "Peter Semneby: EU tries to create trust between Karabakh and Azerbaijan" YERKIR Armenian Online Newspaper
- ^ Staff (1 September 2006) "Robert Kocharian: Nagorno Karabakh People Made Their Historical Choice, Protected Its National Interests in the Forced War. Today They Built Free and Independent State" ARMINFO News Agency
