National Assembly (Artsakh)

National legislature of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh

National Assembly

Ազգային ժողով

Azgayin Zhoghov

7th convocation of the National Assembly
Type
Type|

Unicameral

History
Founded| November 28, 1991 (1991-11-28)
Leadership

President

Ashot Danielyan, Free Motherland
since 21 May 2025

Vice-President

Gagik Baghunts, United Motherland
since 21 May 2020

Structure
Seats| 33

Political groups

| Government (16)

*   Free Motherland - UCA Alliance (16)
*   Free Motherland
*   UCA Party

Government support (8)

*   ARF (3)
*   Justice (2)
*   Democratic Party (2)
*   Independents (1)

Opposition (9)

*   United Motherland (9)

Authority| in exile since 2024
Elections

Voting system

| Party-list proportional representation

Last election

| 31 March 2020
Meeting place
2, 20 February st., Stepanakert
Website
http://www.nankr.am/en

Politics of Artsakh

Constitution

* Constitution

Executive

* President

Legislature

* National Assembly

President
Members

Administrative divisions

* Administrative divisions

Elections and Referendums

* Political parties
* Recent elections

* General: 2020

* Presidential: 2012
* 2017

* Parliamentary: 2010
* 2015

* Referendums

* 1991 (independence)
* 2006
* 2017

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Representative offices
International recognition
Visa policy

Related topics

* Political status of Artsakh
* OSCE Minsk Group
* Politics of Armenia
* Politics of Azerbaijan

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh (Armenian: Արցախի Հանրապետության Ազգային ժողով, romanized: Artsakhi Hanrapetut'yan Azgayin zhoghov; often shortened: Ազգային ժողով, ԱԺ, Azgayin zhoghov, AZh) was the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Artsakh and has been in exile in Armenia since late 2023.

## Status

[edit]

Following the Azerbaijani offensive on 19 September 2023, Artsakh president Samvel Shahramanyan issued a decree to dissolve the Republic by 1 January 2024.[1] However, this decision was subsequently declared not valid in December 2023 by Shahramanyan.[2][3] The Assembly kept functioning in exile from Yerevan.[4] In April 2025 it adopted a constitutional amendment to preserve the office of the president, by prolonging Shahramanyan's term.[5] The option to hold new elections was dismissed, due to depopulation of the region and the collapsed institutions.

## Assembly

[edit]

Plans were in place to move the National Assembly from Stepanakert to Shusha on 9 May 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of the capture of Shusha,[6][7] but the city came under the control of Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

In early March 2024, Azerbaijani authorities demolished the building of the National Assembly of Artsakh.[8][9]

## Electoral system

[edit]

The constitution of Artsakh, amended in 2017, stated that all members to National Assembly shall be elected for a five-year term through a proportional electoral system. The National Assembly had to be composed of no less than 27 and no more than 33 MPs. The number of the MPs had to be defined by the Electoral Code.[10]

Prior to the passing of the 2017 constitutional referendum, the National Assembly had 33 members, 22 of whom (17 before 2015) were elected using party-list proportional representation, and the rest elected in single seat constituencies using first-past-the-post voting.

## Last election

[edit]

Main article: 2020 Artsakhian general election

Party| Votes| %| Seats| +/–
| Free Motherland - UCA Alliance| 30,015| 40.80| 16| +1
| United Motherland| 17,683| 24.04| 9| New
| Justice| 5,867| 7.98| 3| New
| Armenian Revolutionary Federation| 4,758| 6.47| 3| –4
| Democratic Party of Artsakh| 4,314| 5.86| 2| –4
| New Artsakh Alliance| 3,385| 4.60| 0| New
| National Revival| 2,175| 2.96| 0| 0
| Artsakh Conservative Party| 2,156| 2.93| 0| New
| Artsakh Revolutionary Party| 1,325| 1.80| 0| New
| United Armenia Party| 930| 1.26| 0| New
| Generation of Independence Party| 551| 0.75| 0| New
| Communist Party of Artsakh| 402| 0.55| 0| 0
Total| 73,561| 100.00| 33| 0
Valid votes| 73,561| 96.82|
Invalid/blank votes| 2,419| 3.18|
Total votes| 75,980| 100.00|
Registered voters/turnout| 104,866| 72.45|
Source: CEC, Armenanews

## Committees

[edit]

The National Assembly had 7 standing committees:

* Standing Committee on Defense, Security and Law Enforcement
* Standing Committee on Foreign Relations
* Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs
* Standing Committee on Social Affairs and Health
* Standing Committee on Production and Manufacturing Infrastructure
* Standing Committee on Budget, Financial and Economic Management
* Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports,[11]

## List of National Assembly members by convocation

[edit]

### 6th Convocation

[edit]

The members of the 6th convocation of the National Assembly were elected on 3 May 2015.

Party  | Name

|

Free Motherland (14)  | Artur Tovmasyan (head of faction)
Ramela Dadayan (secretary of faction)
Arpat Avanesyan
Aram Grigoryan
Grigory Kasparyan
Sergey Harutyunyan
Rudik Hyusnunts
Robert Ghahramanyan
Arzik Mkhitaryan
Vardges Ulubabyab
Gagik Petrosyan
Hovik Jivanyan
Ararat Ohandjanyan
Armen Ohanyan
Democratic Party (6)  | Ashot Ghulian (Speaker of the Parliament)
Vardges Baghryan (head of faction)
Ludmila Barseghyan (secretary of faction)
Zhanna Galstyan
Davit Melkumyan [hy]
Gegham Stepanyan
ARF (6)  | Armen Sargsyan (head of faction)
Alyosha Gabrielyan (secretary of faction)
Vahram Balayan
David Ishkhanyan
Rita Mnatsakanyan
Georgy Petrosyan
Movement 88 (3)  | Eduard Aghabekyan (head of faction)
Gagik Baghunts (secretary of faction)
Vilen Safaryan[12]
National Revival (1)  | Hayk Khanumyan (head of faction)
Independent (3)  | Ruslan Israelyan[a][13]
Aram Sargsyan
Erik Harutunyan
Source: National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh

### 7th Convocation

[edit]

The members of the 7th convocation of the National Assembly were elected on 31 March 2020. This was the last legislature before the dissolution of Artsakh on 1 January 2024.[1]

Faction  | Name

|

Free Motherland - UCA Alliance (16)  | Arthur Tovmasyan (President of the National Assembly)
Arthur Harutyunyan (head of faction)
Eleonora Avanesyan (secretary of faction)
Eduard Aghabekyan
Aram Grigoryan
Hovik Jivanyan
Vladimir Kasyan
Arevik Petrosyan
Karine Atayan
Aramayis Aghabekyan
Areg Avagyan
Nela Grigoryan
Ashot Danielyan
Armen Hakobyan
Aram Harutyunyan
Lernik Ghalayan
United Motherland (9)  | Gagik Baghunts (Vice-President of the National Assembly, head of faction)
Marsel Petrosyan (secretary of faction)
Sevak Aghajanyan
David Baghdasaryan
Arshak Grigoryan
Seyran Hayrapetyan
Nune Melkumyan
Gohar Sargsyan
David Sargsyan
Justice (3)  | David Galstyan (head of faction)
Metakse Hakobyan (secretary of faction)
Karen Hovhannisyan
ARF (3)  | Arthur Mosiyan (head of faction)
Vahram Balayan (secretary of faction)
David Ishkhanyan
Democratic Party (2)  | David Melkumyan (head of faction)
Gegham Stepanyan (secretary of faction)
Source: National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh

## See also

[edit]

* Politics portal

* Elections in the Republic of Artsakh
* List of legislatures by country
* List of political parties in Artsakh
* National Assembly (Armenia)
* Politics of Artsakh
* President of the National Assembly of Artsakh
* Sahakyan government
* Second Harutyunyan government

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Ruslan Israelyan left Free Motherland faction in June 2018

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "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.
2. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh Separatist Leader Says Dissolution Decree Not Valid". Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL). 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
3. ^ "Karabakh Dissolution Not Valid, Says Separatist Leader". Moscow Times. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
4. ^ "Karabakh parliament 3 factions: Russian peacekeeping troops' withdrawal from Artsakh is unacceptable". News.am. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
5. ^ "Karabakh parliament in exile extends presidential term via constitutional amendment". CivilNet. 2025-04-17. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
6. ^ "Сепаратисты объявили о переносе "парламента" в Шушу". 19 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
7. ^ "Резиденцию парламента Арцаха перенесут в город-крепость Шуши". Archived from the original on 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
8. ^ "Azerbaijanis Destroy Artsakh National Assembly Building". The Armenian Report. 2024-03-04. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
9. ^ "Karabakh parliament in exile condemns Azerbaijan's vandalistic policy". News.am. 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
10. ^ Article 107 Archived 2017-11-05 at the Wayback Machine Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh
11. ^ Committees Archived 2020-10-17 at the Wayback Machine Official website of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh
12. ^ "Vilen Safaryan has been received a certificate of a deputy | NKR CEC". cecnkr.am. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
13. ^ "Ռուսլան Իսրաելյանն "Ազատ Հայրենիք" կուսակցությունից և Ազգային ժողովի "Հայրենիք" խմբակցությունից դուրս գալու որոշում է կայացրել" (in Armenian).

## External links

[edit]

* [1] National Assembly website

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Presidents of the National Assembly of Artsakh

* Leonard Petrosyan
* Artur Mkrtchyan
* Georgi Petrosian (acting)
* Karen Baburyan
* Arthur Tovmasian
* Oleg Yesayan
* Ashot Ghulian
* Arthur Tovmasyan
* Davit Ishkhanyan

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