# Politics of Artsakh

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. 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.
Following the Azerbaijani offensive on 19 September 2023, Artsakh agreed to dissolve itself by 1 January 2024, however instead of dissolving, they established a government-in-exile in Yerevan, Armenia. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has since severely opposed the government-in-exile's existence in Armenia.

## Executive branch

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
## Legislative branch

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

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | First round | First round | Second round | Second round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | 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 | Total | Total | 73,373 | 100.00 | 45,288 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 73,373 | 96.55 | 45,288 | 96.02 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 2,622 | 3.45 | 1,876 | 3.98 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 75,995 | 100.00 | 47,164 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 104,866 | 72.47 | 104,777 | 45.01 |
| Source: CEC, CEC |||||||

### Parliamentary election

| | 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 | Total | 73,561 | 100.00 | 33 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 73,561 | 96.82 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 2,419 | 3.18 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 75,980 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 104,866 | 72.45 | | |
| 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):
| 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 | Free Motherland - UCA Alliance Ազատ Հայրենիք - ՔՄԴ դաշինք Azat Hayrenik - KMD Dashink | 16 / 33 |
| 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