Robert Kocharian

Robert Kocharian (born August 31, 1954, Stepanakert [now Xankändi], Azerbaijan) is an Armenian politician who served as prime minister (1997–98) and president (1998–2008) of Armenia. His political career focused primarily on the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a self-declared country whose territory is claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Early life and leadership

Kocharian’s father, Sedrak Kocharian, held various leadership positions in Nagorno-Karabakh, then an autonomous oblast (province) of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Robert Kocharian served in the Soviet army (1972–74) before graduating from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1982. Although he was later an official in the Soviet Communist Party, he claimed no party affiliation after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990. By the late 1980s, Kocharian had become a leader in the movement in Nagorno-Karabakh to break away from Azerbaijan and join Armenia. As chairman of the state defense committee and prime minister of Nagorno-Karabakh after the region declared its independence in 1992, Kocharian led war efforts against Azerbaijan. After a cease-fire was declared in 1994, he was elected the first president of the newly established Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, although the country’s independence was not recognized internationally.

President of Armenia

In 1997 Kocharian left his post in Nagorno-Karabakh when he was appointed prime minister of Armenia. He was elected president of Armenia the following year. Despite controversy over whether he was eligible to compete in the election (he had only an Armenian passport and still claimed to be a citizen of Nagorno-Karabakh), he enjoyed the backing of the army and the Dashnaks, the country’s most organized political party. An attack on parliament in 1999, which left dead Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisyan among others, marred his presidency early on. He struggled to regain authority, and opposition continued to mount against him. In spring 2002 the opposing parties staged weekly protests and demanded that Kocharian be impeached.

Kocharian was returned to office in 2003 in the second round of an election marked by allegations of fraud. Protests and a fomented opposition continued to plague his presidency into his second term. Meanwhile, he helped spearhead constitutional amendments in 2005 that would transfer certain presidential powers to the National Assembly and guarantee certain human rights. During his presidency Kocharian also dedicated his attention toward foreign policy. He worked toward a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, though no agreements were reached. He secured a number of foreign deals on trade and business, including those with neighbouring Russia and Iran. The economy gradually improved throughout his tenure. Kocharian also helped elevate the profile and influence of politicians from Nagorno-Karabakh, including his then ally Serzh Sargsyan, who was later elected president after Kocharian was prevented from running again because of term limits. In February 2008, after Sargsyan won the presidential election, thousands poured into the streets of Yerevan daily to protest alleged fraud. On March 1 police violently dispersed the crowd, killing 10, and Kocharian declared a 20-day state of emergency. Nonetheless, the election results were accepted, and Sargsyan became president on April 9 as Kocharian’s term ended.

Post-presidency

His public image tarnished by the crackdown after the 2008 elections, Kocharian did not pursue another political office in the years after leaving the presidency, though he occasionally returned to the spotlight. He became increasingly critical of Sargsyan’s presidency, particularly of his handling of the economy. He was also an outspoken critic against a constitutional referendum pushed by Sargsyan in 2015 that transferred significant power from the president to the prime minister, an office Sargsyan was expected to seek after term limits prevented him from another presidential term.

When Sargsyan indeed became prime minister in 2018, mass protests led by Nikol Pashinyan, who was a member of parliament, forced Sargsyan to step down within weeks. Pashinyan was elected interim prime minister and launched a campaign aimed at fighting corruption. In July Kocharian was arrested on charges relating to the crackdown of March 2008. He was released on bail and arrested again several times.

In September 2020, while free on bail, Kocharian traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh to aid its armed forces in Armenia’s renewed conflict with Azerbaijan. The war ended with a stunning defeat for Armenia, which tarnished Pashinyan’s image but boosted Kocharian’s. After the charges against Kocharian were declared unconstitutional in April 2021, he announced that he would lead an electoral alliance in early parliamentary elections set for June 2021. Appealing to Armenians concerned about national security, he became the main contender to unseat Pashinyan but fell far short of Pashinyan when the elections were held.

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