Nagorno-Karabakh parliament not decided on presidential candidates

The factions of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh have not nominated a single candidate for the presidency of the unrecognized republic three weeks after the termination of the Samvel Shakhramanyan’s powers.

The powers of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament have been extended taking into account the emergency situation in which the unrecognized republic finds itself. On May 21, Ashot Danielyan, a member of the “Free Homeland” faction, became the speaker of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh and also the acting leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Samvel Shakhramanyan’s presidential powers were terminated from that day. The Nagorno-Karabakh parliament announced that MPs would elect a new president from among the candidates nominated by the factions.

As of June 3, the factions of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament have not yet decided on candidates for the post of president. At the same time, earlier, it has been announced that the new president would be elected within ten days after May 21.

“According to the law, the ten-day period for electing the president by the parliament is determined if the factions have proposed their candidates. There are no candidates, and therefore there are no election,” an official from the Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Yerevan explained the situation to the “Caucasian Knot”.

The Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Yerevan has noted that the process of selecting and nominating candidates has not been suspended. “MP’s and party discussions are underway, but there are no specific decisions yet. When parties propose their presidential candidates, then we will announce the election of the leader of the republic,” the official from the Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Yerevan added.

The “Caucasian Knot” has been informed by the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh that after the end of the president’s term and till the election of a new one, the functions of the leader of the republic are performed by the chair of the parliament.

The parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh consists of five factions. Thanks to amendments to the constitution of the unrecognized republic, the powers of the legislative body have been extended until it becomes possible to organize nationwide elections with the participation of citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh.

This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 4, 2025 at 02:51 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.