Politics of Artsakh

Politics of the Republic of Artsakh, a largely unrecognised state in the south Caucasus

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 type| Unitary presidential republic
Constitution| Constitution of Artsakh
Formation| December 10, 1991 (1991-12-10)
Dissolved| December 31, 2023 (2023-12-31)
Legislative branch
Name| National Assembly
Type| Unicameral
Presiding officer| Ashot Ghulian, President of the National Assembly
Executive branch
Head of state and government
Title| President
Currently| Arayik Harutyunyan
Cabinet
Current cabinet| Second Harutyunyan government
Ministries| 15

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

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]

## Executive branch

[edit]

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

[edit]

Grigori Martirosyan
State Minister of the Republic

Main article: Second Harutyunyan government

## Legislative branch

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

## Latest elections

[edit]

Main article: 2020 Artsakhian general election

### Presidential election

[edit]

Candidate| Party| First round| Second round

|
|
|

Votes| %| Votes| %
| Arayik Harutyunyan| Free Motherland - UCA Alliance| 36,076| 49.17| 39,860| 88.01
| Masis Mayilyan| Independent| 19,360| 26.39| 5,428| 11.99
| Vitaly Balasanyan| Justice| 10,855| 14.79|
| David Ishkhanyan| Armenian Revolutionary Federation| 1,873| 2.55|
| Ashot Ghulian| Democratic Party of Artsakh| 1,683| 2.29|
| Hayk Khanumyan| National Revival| 962| 1.31|
| Vahan Badasyan| United Armenia Party| 743| 1.01|
| David Babayan| Artsakh Conservative Party| 587| 0.80|
| Ruslan Israelyan| Generation of Independence Party| 371| 0.51|
| Christine Balayan| Independent| 202| 0.28|
| Ashot Dadayan| Independent| 198| 0.27|
| Bella Lalayan| Independent| 162| 0.22|
| Sergey Amiryan| Independent| 160| 0.22|
| Melsik Poghosyan| Independent| 141| 0.19|
Total| 73,373| 100.00| 45,288| 100.00
Valid votes| 73,373| 96.55| 45,288| 96.02
Invalid/blank votes| 2,622| 3.45| 1,876| 3.98
Total votes| 75,995| 100.00| 47,164| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 104,866| 72.47| 104,777| 45.01
Source: CEC, CEC

### Parliamentary election

[edit]

Logo of the
Free Motherland party

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

## Political parties

[edit]

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:

* Armenia Our Home (Mer Tun’ Hayastan)
* Artsakh Conservative Party
* Artsakh Freedom Party
* Artsakh Republican Party
* Artsakh Revolutionary Party
* Communist Party of Artsakh (Artsaki Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun)
* Generation of Independence Party
* Identity and Unity Party
* Moral Revival (Baroyakan Veratsnund)
* Movement 88 (Sharzhum 88)
* National Revival (Azgayin Veratsnund)
* New Artsakh Alliance
* Peace and Development Party (Khaghaghutyun yev Zargatsum Kusaktsutsyun)
* Powerful United Homeland Party
* Social Justice Party (Sotsialakan Ardarutyun Kusaktsutyun)
* Tomorrow Artsakh
* United Armenia Party

## See also

[edit]

* Politics portal

* Electoral calendar
* Electoral system
* Elections in Artsakh
* Foreign relations of Artsakh
* List of political parties in Artsakh
* List of political parties in Armenia
* List of political parties by country
* Armenakan Party (Nagorno-Karabakh)
* National Assembly (Artsakh)
* Politics of Armenia

## References

[edit]

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.

## External links

[edit]

* The Artsakh Republic Central Electoral Commission

* v
* t
* e

Political parties in Artsakh

* Armenakan Party
* Armenia Our Home
* Armenian Revolutionary Federation
* Artsakh Conservative Party
* Artsakh Freedom Party
* Artsakh Republican Party
* Artsakh Revolutionary Party
* Communist Party of Artsakh
* Democratic Party of Artsakh
* Free Motherland
* Generation of Independence Party
* Identity and Unity Party
* Justice
* Moral Revival
* Movement 88
* National Revival
* New Artsakh Alliance
* Peace and Development Party
* Powerful United Homeland Party
* Social Justice Party
* Tomorrow Artsakh
* United Armenia Party
* United Civic Alliance Party
* United Motherland

* Politics portal
* Lists of political parties
* Politics of Artsakh

* v
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List of political parties in Asia

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Politics of Asia

Sovereign states|

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States with
limited recognition|

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Dependencies and
other territories|

* British Indian Ocean Territory
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other entities|

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