The separatists controlling Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region have strengthened their executive leader's powers in a referendum that international observers warned was illegal.

The separatist region's de facto Central Election Commission said on February 21 that 87.6 percent of voters supported changing its form of governance from semipresidential to fully presidential.

Nagorno-Karabakh will have no prime minister, and the de facto president will appoint government ministers.

Other amendments include the change of the region's name from the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to the Republic of Artsakh, but the two names will be treated as synonymous.

Turnout in the February 20 vote was 76 percent, the commission said.

Armenia-backed separatists seized control of mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh during a war in the early 1990s that killed some 30,000 people. Diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict have brought little progress.

Baku and a mediating group from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which consists of U.S., Russian, and French diplomats, have denounced the referendum as illegal. </s> Armenian prime minister resigns, says country needs new approach

YEREVAN, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan tendered his resignation at a government meeting on Thursday, saying the country needed fresh policies, after an economic slowdown this year and outbreaks of violence.

His announcement paves the way for the cabinet to resign and the president to appoint a new prime minister following consultations with parliament.

"We need a new approach, new start. That's why I've decided to resign and let the president form a new government," Abrahamyan said.

A former parliamentary speaker and an economist by training, Abrahamyan was appointed prime minister two years ago. In 2015 Armenia's economy started to deteriorate - economic growth slowed to 3 percent in 2015 from 3.5 percent in 2014 and below the government's growth forecast of 4.1 percent. The government expects 2.2 percent economic growth in 2016.

Armenia, a country of 3.2 million people, depends heavily on aid and investment from former Soviet overlord Russia, whose economic downturn has hit Armenian exports and much-needed remittances from Armenians working there.

The government has also faced political challenges, including a flare-up of violence in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region in April between Armenian-backed separatists and Azeri forces.

Two months later a group of 30 armed men seized the police station and took hostages in the Armenian capital Yerevan. Two police officers were killed during a two-week stand-off, before gunmen surrendered to the authorities.

The incident led to mass protests in the capital, when people took to the streets to secure the release of a jailed opposition politician and demand the resignation of the government and the president.

Shortly after that Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan said radical reforms in political and social life were needed. He said it was necessary to form "a government of national accord" to provide a broader distribution and division of political responsibility.

Local media reported that Abrahamyan might be replaced by 53-year-old technocrat Karen Karapetyan, the former head of national gas distributing company ArmRosGazprom and later Yerevan mayor.

After leaving the post of mayor, he moved to Moscow, to be appointed as the first vice-president of Gazprombank. He is currently deputy CEO of Russian gas producer Gazprom's Mezhregiongaz unit.

Experts say the new government is likely to be temporary and the final configuration will emerge only after 2017 parliamentary election and the end of Sarksyan's second term in 2018, when the full transition from the semi-presidential form of government to a parliamentary republic will be completed. (Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Dominic Evans) </s> “Armenia occupied not only Nagorno-Karabakh, but also seven districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, where Armenian population never lived. In Nagorno-Karabakh itself 30 percent of the population were of Azerbaijani origin. They all have been expelled. And after that in Nagorno-Karabakh, they held sever so-called referendums. And one of them is held these days, which is absolutely illegal and is not recognized by any country in the world,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has told the Munich Security Conference. “By the way, Russia, United States, France and the European Union already issued statements that they do not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent entity, and they do not recognize the outcome of this referendum.”

The President said: “And we hope that Minsk Group co-chairs will be more active than they are today. Of course, Azerbaijan cannot agree with the current situation. Security Council resolutions demanding withdrawal of Armenian troops – immediate and unconditional – were adopted more than twenty years ago and they remain on paper. Three countries of the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs are at the same time permanent members of Security Council. So that means that these resolutions were adopted with their participation. They did not object against these resolutions. But they are not implemented and these leading countries of the world cannot exert enough pressure on aggressor Armenia to pull back from the occupied territories. Therefore, we hope that the conflict will be resolved based on these resolutions,” the head of state added.

“Referendum” held by separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh is absolutely illegal, Azerbaijani President </s> Tehran, Iran, Feb. 20 By Mehid Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said that "referendum" in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenia, is wrong and unacceptable. He made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on Feb. 20 while commenting on the "referendum" to be held Feb. 20 in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenia, to amend the illegal regime's "constitution," Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Trend. </s> Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday he was resigning from his post in order for parliament to be dissolved and an early election held. The former opposition leader was put in power by a parliamentary vote in May after weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism, but there have been no parliamentary elections since the revolution last spring.

Pashinyan has said the composition of parliament does not reflect the country's new political reality. "The aim of my resignation is not to shirk the responsibility I took on myself before you, but on the contrary to take the velvet revolution to the end through early elections and fully return power to the people," he said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Early parliamentary elections can be called in the ex-Soviet republic of three million people if parliament fails twice to choose a new prime minister and the legislature is dissolved.

Pashinyan, whose popularity rating is high, said he would remain acting prime minister until a new one is elected by a new parliament. He said earlier this month he wanted parliamentary elections to be held in the first half of December.

In a move that triggered new street protests by Pashinyan's supporters, the Armenian parliament passed on Oct. 3 a bill making it harder to dissolve the assembly and hold snap elections. Pashinyan accused MPs of stabbing him in the back, saying the adoption of the bill was nothing short of a "counter-revolution." He then fired six ministers from the Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun parties who backed the controversial bill which was sponsored by the former president Sargsyan's Republican Party. The Republican Party has said it is not against holding snap polls but wants them to be called no earlier than in May or June so the parties have time to prepare for the campaign. On Sept. 24, Pashinyan's bloc won a landslide victory in municipal elections, getting over 80 percent of the vote in the capital Yerevan where nearly 40 percent of the country's population lives. </s> Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan arrives at a polling station during a parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 2, 2017. Armenians voted Sunday in the country's first parliamentary election since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister. (PAN Photo, Davit Hakobyan/Photo via AP)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's ruling party has won just under half of the vote in the nation's parliamentary election, enough to claim a majority of seats, authorities said Monday.

Sunday's election was the first since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister.

The Republican Party of Armenia, led by President Serzh Sargsyan, won 49 percent of the vote, and the bloc led by businessman Gagik Tsarukian trailed with 27 percent, the Central Election Commission said on Monday after all ballots were counted.

Two more parties cleared the 5-percent barrier necessary to get seats in parliament. The official results are to be announced later this week.

Critics see the constitutional amendments as part of Sargsyan's efforts to retain control of the country after he steps down in 2018 due to term limits. If his party controls parliament, he could be appointed prime minister after that.

The observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a statement on Monday that the vote was "well administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected." The mission, however, pointed to reports of vote-buying, and pressure on civil servants and employees of private companies.

"Reform is a never-ending process, and I encourage the parliamentary majority and the new government to continue their efforts to transform the country's political culture, in partnership with the opposition, civil society and the international community," Ignacio Sanchez Amor, the mission's special coordinator, said in the statement. </s> News selected on topics and regions - oil and gas, business, politics, IT, the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea region, Central Asia Ranking of the Azerbaijani banking sector Tehran, Iran, Feb. 20 By Mehid Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said that "referendum" in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenia, is wrong and unacceptable. He made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on Feb. 20 while commenting on the "referendum" to be held Feb. 20 in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenia, to amend the illegal regime's "constitution," Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Trend. </s> YEREVAN—Armenia witnessed an historic day as the country’s legislature elected Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister weeks after a popular movement toppled the former leader Serzh Sarkisian forcing him to resign a post to which he was elected mere seven days before.

After failing to elect a prime minister on May 1, the parliament on Tuesday with a vote of 59 to 42 elected Pashinyan, the people’s candidate and one that was nominated by one-third of lawmakers to the highest office to the country,

The Republican Party of Armenia, which essentially blocked Pashinyan’s election last week, voted

The session opened with Parliament Speaker Ara Babloyan recognizing that it was the 26th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi, to which the parliament convened with applause from the gathered parliament members.

Pashinyan’s Yelk alliance member Lena Nazaryan introduced the candidate by presenting his biography after pointing out that Armenia has experienced a new renaissance through a people’s movement that has forced change in the country through smile, laughter and dance.

She invited Pashinyan, who outlined that the fact that this session of parliament was taking place on the anniversary of the liberation of Shushi was a clear indication that the heroic battles that realized Artsakh’s liberation will also be applied to free the people of Armenia from the social injustices they have endured for several decades.

The parliament session was taking place as thousands gathered at Republic Square to view the proceedings live on day which Pashinyan on Monday declared a holiday.

Also present and observing the session from the parliament gallery was System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, who arrived in Armenia on Monday and joined Pashinyan at a rally, declaring his support for the popular movement leader.

In his remarks, Pashinyan, among other elements, singled out the role of the Diaspora in the advancement of the future of Armenia.

He also pledged that any upcoming election will be devoid of fraud and the bribery, which have become commonplace in Armenian elections. He said that beginning with the parliament session, the people of Armenia will take part in free and fair elections.

He pledged to continue the negotiations for a peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict, saying that was imperative for Artsakh to rejoin the negotiations, based on a decision by the OSCE Minsk Group leaders in a 1992. He also pledged that Armenia would remain on the forefront of advancing international recognition for the Armenian Genocide as an effort to ensure that such crimes are prevented.

Pashinyan also said that his government would reject the practice of a policy of assessing fines on citizens, who are confronted with receiving punitive fines as a way of life and a cycle that confine citizens in a society based on fines.

He also pledged that under his leadership would closely monitor Armenia’s Armed Forces, whose rights would be a priority and whose wellbeing will become a key focal point of his government.

At the same time, Pahinyan recognized the participation of a large number of students in the popular movement, declared that he would reform the educational system in Armenia, where a student will be able to become a part of the advancement of the country’s economy through their professional contributions.

He was also quick to point out that his government will advance women’s right and engaging more women in government. He also pledged a review of the electoral code, and emphasized the importance of critical reforms of the laws, which would ensure that every citizen’s ballot is counted.

Republican Party of Armenia faction leader Vahram Baghdasaryan said that his party has decided to support Pashinyan’s candidacy not as an expression of support but as an effort to emerge from what he called a crisis in the country. As such, he declared that 10 plus one members of his faction would cast their ballot for Pashinyan. He urged the parliament to not count those members as those who have abandoned their party. </s> Protests against a new prime minister are spreading in Armenia, with their chief organiser declaring them a "revolution".

Demonstrators object to the country's parliament voting in ex-president Serzh Sargsyan as the new premier.

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan made the remarks in the capital Yerevan, a short distance from the country's parliament.

"We must paralyse the entire state system and the power should pass to the people," he said.

"Serzh Sargsyan must see that he has no Armenia to rule in and no people to rule over."

Mr Pashinyan urged protesters in Yerevan and in other cities to blockade state institutions.

Demonstrators in the capital have cordoned off the interior ministry and the prosecutor's office, though police are surrounding the parliament where legislators are confirming Mr Sargsyan.

People are also reportedly massing in the cities of Gyumri and Vanadzor.

Serzh Sargsyan was elected president of Armenia in 2008 and again in 2013, serving two five-year terms before stepping down.

However, following a 2015 constitutional referendum the country shifted from a presidential system to a parliamentary republic - relegating the presidency to a more ceremonial role.

The ex-president had formally stated he would "not aspire" for the prime minister position. But on Monday the country's parliament unanimously chose Mr Sargsyan for the post, planning to swear him in on Tuesday.

This is the fifth day of protests against what opposition groups are dubbing a "power grab" by the former leader.
In a referendum held yesterday in the breakaway state of Nagorno-Karabakh (a region long claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia), 87.6% of voters approve changing the country's governance system from semi-presidential to full presidential, therefore abolishing the position of prime minister.