“The replacements in government show that the authorities in Artsakh understand what Yerevan wants, but on the other hand, do not want to change everything so drastically. This situation will continue until 2020 when Bako Sahakyan’s term as President is over. The process of adapting will not be easy,” President of the Yerevan press club Boris Navasardyan told reporters regarding the replacements of officials in Artsakh.
According to him, the governing system in Artsakh is still adjusted according to Armenia’s previous authorities, and this situation could not have changed immediately. “We cannot say that there is a democratic government in Artsakh. It was rooted in the previous Armenian government. There are still connections with Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan. Those connections, relationships, and responsibilities don’t just go away at once.”
Boris Navasardyan thinks that criticism of My Step candidate Sasun Mikayelyan’s statement about how the revolution was more important than the victory in Artsakh was simply an opportunity for there to be professional changes within the military elite of Artsakh (such as the replacement of Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan). “There could have been other opportunities, but the main reason is that the situation in Armenia has changed, but it hasn’t changed in Artsakh. The process of adapting to these different situations is ongoing.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
