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Politics of Artsakh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about recent and past political developments in Artsakh. For the Artsakh government, see Government of Artsakh.
Political System of Artsakh

Արցախի հանրապետության պետական համակարգ
Coat of arms of Artsakh
Polity typeUnitary presidential republic
ConstitutionConstitution of Artsakh
FormationDecember 10, 1991 (1991-12-10)
Legislative branch
NameNational Assembly
TypeUnicameral
Presiding officerAshot Ghulian, President of the National Assembly
Executive branch
Head of state and government
TitlePresident
CurrentlyArayik Harutyunyan
Cabinet
Current cabinetSecond Harutyunyan government
Ministries15
Politics of Artsakh
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Administrative divisions
Elections and Referendums
Foreign relations
Related topics

Politics of Artsakh took place within the constraints of a written constitution, approved by a popular vote, that recognises three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. The executive branch of government was exercised within a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Artsakh was both the head of state and the head of government. The legislative branch of government was composed of both the Government and the National Assembly. Elections to the National Assembly were on the basis of a multi-party system. As of 2009, the American-based non-governmental organisation, Freedom House, ranks Artsakh above both Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of political and civil rights.[1][2][3] The republic was de facto independent and de jure a part of Azerbaijan. None of the elections in Artsakh were recognised by international bodies such as the OSCE Minsk Group, the European Union or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Both Azerbaijan and Turkey had condemned the elections and called them a source of increased tensions.[4][5][6]

Following the Azerbaijani offensive on 19 September 2023, Artsakh agreed to dissolve itself by 1 January 2024,[7] however instead of dissolving, they established a government-in-exile in Yerevan, Armenia.[8] The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has since severely opposed the government-in-exile's existence in Armenia.[9][10]

Executive branch

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Arayik Harutyunyan
4th President of the Republic
Main office-holders
Office Name Party Since
President Arayik Harutyunyan Free Motherland 21 May 2020

The President was directly elected for a five-year term, by popular vote.

Current government

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Grigori Martirosyan
State Minister of the Republic
Main article: Second Harutyunyan government

Legislative branch

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Artsakh Presidential Palace
Ashot Ghulian
Speaker of the National Assembly

The National Assembly (Azgayin Zhoghov) had 33 members who were elected for a five-year term by Party-list proportional representation. Artsakh had a multi-party system, with numerous political parties in which no one party often had a chance of gaining power alone, and parties had to work with each other to form coalition governments.

Judicial branch

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Narine Narimanyan was the last Head of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Artsakh.

Latest elections

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Main article: 2020 Artsakhian general election

Presidential election

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CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Arayik HarutyunyanFree Motherland - UCA Alliance36,07649.1739,86088.01
Masis MayilyanIndependent19,36026.395,42811.99
Vitaly BalasanyanJustice10,85514.79
David IshkhanyanArmenian Revolutionary Federation1,8732.55
Ashot GhulianDemocratic Party of Artsakh1,6832.29
Hayk KhanumyanNational Revival9621.31
Vahan BadasyanUnited Armenia Party7431.01
David BabayanArtsakh Conservative Party5870.80
Ruslan IsraelyanGeneration of Independence Party3710.51
Christine BalayanIndependent2020.28
Ashot DadayanIndependent1980.27
Bella LalayanIndependent1620.22
Sergey AmiryanIndependent1600.22
Melsik PoghosyanIndependent1410.19
Total73,373100.0045,288100.00
Valid votes73,37396.5545,28896.02
Invalid/blank votes2,6223.451,8763.98
Total votes75,995100.0047,164100.00
Registered voters/turnout104,86672.47104,77745.01
Source: CEC, CEC

Parliamentary election

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Logo of the
Free Motherland party
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Motherland - UCA Alliance30,01540.8016+1
United Motherland17,68324.049New
Justice5,8677.983New
Armenian Revolutionary Federation4,7586.473–4
Democratic Party of Artsakh4,3145.862–4
New Artsakh Alliance3,3854.600New
National Revival2,1752.9600
Artsakh Conservative Party2,1562.930New
Artsakh Revolutionary Party1,3251.800New
United Armenia Party9301.260New
Generation of Independence Party5510.750New
Communist Party of Artsakh4020.5500
Total73,561100.00330
Valid votes73,56196.82
Invalid/blank votes2,4193.18
Total votes75,980100.00
Registered voters/turnout104,86672.45
Source: CEC, Armenanews

Political parties

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Below is a list of former political parties in Artsakh. The region had a multi-party system with numerous political parties, in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. The following parties won seats in the National Assembly following the 31 March 2020 Artsakhian general election (total 33 seats):

Name Abbr. Alliance MPs
(2020-)
Free Motherland
Ազատ Հայրենիք Կուսակցություն
Azat Hayrenik Kusaktsutyun 		FMP
ԱՀԿ 		Free Motherland - UCA Alliance
Ազատ Հայրենիք - ՔՄԴ դաշինք
Azat Hayrenik - KMD Dashink
16 / 33
United Civic Alliance Party
Քաղաքացիական Միացյալ Դաշինք Կուսակցություն
Kaghakaciakan Miacyal Dashink Kusaktsutyun 		UCA
ՔՄԴ
United Motherland
Միասնական Հայրենիք Կուսակցություն
Miasnakan Hayrenik Kusaktsutyun 		UMP
ՄՀԿ 		none
9 / 33
Artsakh Justice Party
Արցախի Արդարություն Կուսակցություն
Artsakhi Ardarutyun Kusaktsutyun 		JPA
ԱԱԿ 		none
3 / 33
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Հայ Հեղափոխական Դաշնակցություն
Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun 		ARF
ՀՅԴ 		none
3 / 33
Democratic Party of Artsakh
Արցախի ժողովրդավարական կուսակցություն
Artsakhi Joghovrdavarakan Kusaktsutyun 		DPA
ԱԺԿ 		none
2 / 33

The extra-parliamentary political parties which had no seats in the National Assembly, are listed below:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ freedomhouse.org: Map of Freedom in the World, Freedom House, 2009
  2. ^ freedomhouse.org: Map of Freedom in the World, Freedom House, 2009
  3. ^ freedomhouse.org: Map of Freedom in the World, Freedom House, 2009
  4. ^ "EU does not recognize 'elections' in Nagorno Karabakh". News.Az. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. ^ Mustafa Pazarlı. "US will not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's elections". Videonews.us. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  6. ^ Mushvig Mehdiyev. "OIC condemns "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh as illegal". AzerNews.az. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will cease to exist from Jan 1 2024 - Nagorno-Karabakh authorities". Reuters. 2023-09-28. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  8. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh dissolution not valid, says Armenian separatist leader". France 24. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  9. ^ "Pashinian Slams, Warns Karabakh Leaders". Radio Free Europe. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Pashinyan Attacks Artsakh Government in Exile". Oragark. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
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