Bako Sahakyan
Bako Sahakyan Բակո Սահակյան | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th President of Nagorno-Karabakh | |
| Assumed office 7 September 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Anushavan Danielyan Arayik Harutyunyan |
| Preceded by | Arkadi Ghukasyan |
| Interior Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh | |
| In office 1999–2001 | |
| President | Arkadi Ghukasyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1960 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Artsakh University |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army |
| Years of service | 1990—2007 |
| Battles/wars | Nagorno-Karabakh War |
Bako Sahakyan (Armenian: Բակո Սահակյան, born 30 August 1960, sometimes transcribed as Bako Sahakian or Saakian) is the fourth president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. He was first elected as President on 19 July 2007 and on 19 July 2012 he was re-elected for a second five-year term, receiving around two-third of the votes.[1] Sahakyan replaced Arkadi Ghukasyan, who had held the presidential post for two five-year terms.
Early and personal life
Sahakyan was born in Stepanakert, NKAO, Azerbaijan SSR in 1960. After serving in the Soviet army, he worked for nine years in a Stepanakert factory. In 1990, he joined the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army, of which he became a deputy commander.[2] In 1999, he was named interior minister of Nagorno-Karabakh. He also led the Nagorno-Karabakh security service from 2001 to June 2007,[1][3][4] when he resigned in order to run in the 2007 Nagorno-Karabakh Presidential elections.
Bako Sahakyan ran as an independent and won the elections with 85 percent of the votes. Voters mainly turned to Sahakyan because of his record in the security services.[5] He has pledged to seek full independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, using the example that international recognition of Kosovo as an independent state would pave the way for acceptance of Nagorno-Karabakh's sovereignty.[6]
Bako Sahakyan is married and has two children.[citation needed]
Recent activity
President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan visited the village of Vank (Martakert region) to participate in an opening ceremony of a new building of a local hospital built with financial assistance of philanthropist Levon Hayrapetyan [1]
See also
References
- ^ a b H.E. Bako Sahakian President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
- ^ Former Security Chief Wins Nagorno-Karabakh Vote
- ^ Voters in rebel Karabakh elect new president
- ^ Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2004 - Page 132 by Taylor & Francis Group, Imogen Gladman
- ^ Azerbaijan breakaway elects new president
- ^ Bako Saakian wins presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh - Herald Tribune