Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament decides to elect new president

The nomination of candidates for the presidency of Nagorno-Karabakh from parliamentary factions will begin after May 21.

The term of office of the members of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh elected in the spring of 2020 expires on May 21 this year, but after this date their powers have been extended by the adopted amendments to the Constitution on the basis of the emergency situation. However, the Parliament will elect a new president – the factions will be able to nominate their candidates for this post within ten days after May 21, a source from the Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Yerevan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The recent constitutional reforms have made it possible to preserve the state agencies of the Republic of Artsakh (the self-name of Nagorno-Karabakh), which continue working on a voluntary basis after being forcibly moved to Armenia. Since President Samvel Shakhramanyan was elected by the Parliament after the resignation of the previous president, whose term was supposed to end in 2025, the National Assembly has decided to hold presidential election. All the decisions are made by the National Assembly, since it has a mandate from the people," the representative office has noted.

The state institutions of Nagorno-Karabakh must continue operating; and the amendments made to the Constitution "ensure their continuity, said David Galstyan, a Karabakh MP. According to his story, "the election of a new president will preserve the work of state institutions."

"There is a document signed by the president that in the current situation it is impossible to hold elections; therefore, after the expiration of the term of office of the National Assembly, the powers of the Parliament are automatically extended until new elections can be held," he explained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The preservation of state institutions is necessary "for negotiations with the international community and the implementation of the collective rights of the people of Artsakh," his colleague, Vakhram Balayan, another MP, has pointed out.

All the state institutions of the unrecognized republic, including the Ombudsperson's office, work in Yerevan on a voluntary basis; their work is not paid, Gegam Stepanyan, the Ombudsperson of Nagorno-Karabakh, has noted. "Of course, organizing the nationwide elections is problematic, given that Artsakh residents are of different nationalities; they are spread all over Armenia or have left the country, but when necessary, this issue can be resolved," Mr Stepanyan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to the Ombudsperson's office, more than 24,000 citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh have left Armenia.

This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 16, 2025 at 11:48 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.