Bako Sahakyan
Bako Sahakyan (Armenian: Բակո Սահակյան; born 30 August 1959) is the third president of the de facto-independent Republic of Artsakh. He was first elected as President on 19 July 2007. On 19 July 2012, he was re-elected for a second five-year term, receiving approximately two-thirds of the votes.[1] In 2017, he was re-elected indirectly for a three-year term. Sahakyan replaced Arkadi Ghukasyan, who had held the presidential post for two five-year terms.
Bako Sahakyan | |
---|---|
Բակո Սահակյան | |
3rd [[President of Artsakh]] | |
In office 7 September 2007 – 21 May 2020 | |
Prime Minister | Anushavan Danielyan Arayik Harutyunyan |
Preceded by | Arkadi Ghukasyan |
Succeeded by | Arayik Harutyunyan |
Interior Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh | |
In office 1999–2001 | |
President | Arkadi Ghukasyan |
Personal details | |
Born | Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union | 30 August 1960
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 |
Sahakyan was born in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, 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 election.
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 Artsakh, using the example that international recognition of Kosovo as an independent state would pave the way for acceptance of Artsakh's sovereignty.[6] He was re-elected for a second five-year term in 2012[7] and then indirectly in 2017 for a three-year term.
Sahakyan is married and has two children.[8]
His name is sometimes transcribed as Bako Sahakian or Saakian.
See also
References
- "The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in USA". Nkrusa.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- "Former Security Chief Wins Nagorno-Karabakh Vote". Rferl.org. 2007-07-20. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- Archived October 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2004 - Page 132 by Taylor & Francis Group, Imogen Gladman
- "Azerbaijan breakaway elects new president". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- Archived August 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- "СООБЩЕНИЕ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ ИЗБИРАТЕЛЬНОЙ КОМИССИИ НАГОРНО-КАРАБАХСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ". Азат Арцах. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
- "Bako Sahakyan - Biography". president.nkr.am. President of the Artsakh Republic. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
External links
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Arkadi Ghukasyan |
President of Artsakh 2007–2020 |
Succeeded by Arayik Harutyunyan |