Politics 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
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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]