From 1990 to 1992 three forces with different ideologies were in power in Armenia, NK and Azerbaijan. If, in Azerbaijan, the communists and President Ayaz Mutalibov managed to maintain power until the spring of 1992, in Armenia, starting in August 1990, the Armenian National Movement governed the country. The situation was different in unrecognized but militarily and politically independent NKR. After the December 28, 1991 parliamentary elections, the ARF (Dashnaktsutyun), with which the ANM and Levon Ter-Petrosyan had serious disagreements came to power there. Until August 1992, there were essentially two centers of power in NK: the ARF in the Supreme Council, but those who cooperated with Yerevan, in Ter-Petrosyan’s words, “ANM’s local network” (Robert Kocharyan, Serge Sargsyan), held executive power.

The first session of the NKR parliament took place on January 6, 1992 and the NKR’s declaration of state independence was adopted. During the January 8 session, 33 year old Arthur Mkrtchyan was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council and Georgy Petrosyan, Deputy Chairman. Oleg Yesayan had been approved as Prime Minister.

Mkrtchyan’s election came as a surprise to many. Murad Petrosyan, one of the members of the first parliament recalls, “No one doubted that Kocharyan who, apart from everything else, was supported by the administration in Yerevan, would become the chairman. However, before the start of the session Kocharyan announced, ‘Leonid Petrosyan will be voted in.’ No matter how much we tried to explain to him that ‘Leonid would not pass’, it was pointless. Our warnings were confirmed; Petrosyan collected only 8 votes. Kocharyan and many others not only were shocked by Mrktchyan’s sensational election, but by the fact that half of the members of parliament were members of ARF.”

After the election of the head of the parliament, it was time for the matter of the prime minister to be taken up. Before the session, members of the Coordinating Council, a body that had been created and had worked covertly during Polyanchiko’s times, gathered in conclave. From the ARF there were Zhanna Galstyan, Valery Balayan and Georgy Petrosyan, and from the group supported by Ter-Petrosyan there were Robert Kocharyan, Serge Sargsyan, Murad Petrosyan, as well as Bishop Pargev Martirossyan, Primate of the Artsakh Diocese.

“Kocharyan would have never agreed to the establishment of such a collegial body if it had not been necessary. From the end of 1990, the ARF enjoyed great political power in Artsakh. In order to avoid misinterpretation on this or that issue, a body was necessary in which principal issues would be discussed beforehand. For the post of the Prime Minister, Kocharyan and Sargsyan suggested Yesayan’s and I, Arushanyan’s, candidacy. The Dashnaks were sensible and after ‘seizing’ the highest post in NK did not succumb into euphoria. They decided not to occupy the second highest post, leaving it to the judgment of Kocharyan’s circle. Zhanna Galstyan suggested a compromise; Yesayan as Prime Minister and Arushanyan, the first deputy”, writes Murad Petrosyan.

Georgy Petrosyan, a member of the ARF, was elected to the post of the Deputy Chairman. The ARF wanted Kocharyan to occupy the post of the first deputy.

“He categorically refused, saying, ‘I will never become Arthur Mkrtchyan’s deputy.’ For two days we tried to convince Kocharyan to take the post of the first deputy. We were worried about preserving unity within the Karabakh Movement, which was artificially being split by the ARF and ANM leaders, pursuing their parties’ interests. Nevertheless, with joint efforts, Kocharyan’s resistance was broken on the third day”, writes Petrosyan.

However, members of the Supreme Council voted against Kocharyan. During the entire existence of NKR’s first Parliament, the post of first deputy remained vacant. After the tragic death (murder) of Arthur Mkrtchyan in his apartment on April 14, 1992, Georgy Petrosyan assumed the responsibilities of the president, since the seat of the Chairman of the Supreme Council’s first deputy was vacant.

Armenia’s President, the Presidency of the Supreme Council and the government announced that, “they received the sad news of Arthur Mkrtchyan’s murder with deep sorrow”. What had happened was labeled a “treacherous killing aimed at weakening the people’s forces that have risen to fight for national liberation and to plant the seeds of panic”. By a decree of Ter-Petrosyan, a day of mourning was declared in Armenia on April 17. The national flag of the third republic was lowered for the first time.

The superpowers also mentioned Mkrtchyan’s tragic death. The U.S. and France sent their condolences. The murder, carried out by ‘unknown people’, had agitated Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. “Russia severely condemns this inhuman act, which has become a new tragic link in the chain of the innocent victims of the Azerbaijani and Armenian population of NK”.

After the death (murder) of Arthur Mkrtchyan, internal conflicts between the powers in the NKR did not calm down.

This piece is from Tatul Hakobyan‘s book- KARABAKH DIARY; GREEN and BLACK

In picture- NK Presidential Office