Politics of Artsakh

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Political System of Artsakh

Արցախի հանրապետության պետական համակարգ
Emblem of the Republic of Artsakh.svg
Polity type Unitary presidential republic
Constitution Constitution of Artsakh
Formation December 10, 1991 (1991-12-10)
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
Ministries15

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]

Contents

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

Arayik Harutyunyan
4th President of the Republic Arayik Harutyunyan.png
Arayik Harutyunyan
4th President of the Republic
Main office-holders
OfficeNamePartySince
President Arayik Harutyunyan Free Motherland 21 May 2020

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

Current government

Grigori Martirosyan
State Minister of the Republic Grigori Martirosyan.jpg
Grigori Martirosyan
State Minister of the Republic

Legislative branch

Artsakh Presidential Palace Presidential, NKR, Stepanakert.jpg
Artsakh Presidential Palace
Ashot Ghulian
Speaker of the National Assembly Ashot Ghowlyan.JPG
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

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

Latest elections

Presidential election

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Arayik Harutyunyan Free Motherland - UCA Alliance 36,07649.1739,86088.01
Masis Mayilyan Independent19,36026.395,42811.99
Vitaly Balasanyan Justice 10,85514.79
David Ishkhanyan Armenian Revolutionary Federation 1,8732.55
Ashot Ghulian Democratic Party of Artsakh 1,6832.29
Hayk Khanumyan National Revival 9621.31
Vahan Badasyan United Armenia Party 7431.01
David Babayan Artsakh Conservative Party 5870.80
Ruslan Israelyan Generation of Independence Party 3710.51
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

Logo of the
Free Motherland party Azat-hajrenik.jpg
Logo of the
Free Motherland party
Artsakh Assemblee nationale 2020.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Free Motherland - UCA Alliance 30,01540.8016+1
United Motherland 17,68324.049New
Justice 5,8677.983New
Armenian Revolutionary Federation 4,7586.473–4
Democratic Party of Artsakh 4,3145.862–4
New Artsakh Alliance 3,3854.600New
National Revival 2,1752.9600
Artsakh Conservative Party 2,1562.930New
Artsakh Revolutionary Party 1,3251.800New
United Armenia Party 9301.260New
Generation of Independence Party 5510.750New
Communist Party of Artsakh 4020.5500
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

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):

NameAbbr.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

  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.