2020 Artsakhian general election explained
Country: | Artsakh |
Module: | Embed: | yes | Election Name: | Presidential election | Type: | presidential | Previous Election: | 2017 Artsakhian presidential election | Previous Year: | 2017 | Election Date: | (first round) (second round) | Next Election: | 2023 Artsakhian presidential election | Next Year: | 2023 | Turnout: | 72.47% (first round) 45.01% (second round) | Candidate1: | Arayik Harutyunyan | Image1: | Arayik Harutyunyan.png | Party1: | Free Motherland | Alliance1: | Free Motherland - UCA Alliance | Popular Vote1: | 39,860 | Percentage1: | 88.01% | Candidate2: | Masis Mayilyan | Party2: | Independent politician | Alliance2: | New Artsakh Alliance | Popular Vote2: | 5,428 | Percentage2: | 11.99% | President | Before Election: | Bako Sahakyan | Before Party: | Independent (politician) | Posttitle: | President-elect | After Election: | Arayik Harutyunyan | After Party: | Free Motherland | Module: | Embed: | yes | Election Name: | Parliamentary election | Previous Election: | 2015 | Turnout: | 72.45% | Party1: | Free Motherland - UCA Alliance | Percentage1: | 40.80 | Last Election1: | 15 | Seats1: | 16 | Leader2: | Samvel Babayan | Party2: | United Motherland | Percentage2: | 24.04 | Last Election2: | new | Seats2: | 9 | Leader3: | Vitaly Balasanyan | Party3: | Justice (Artsakh) | Percentage3: | 7.98 | Last Election3: | new | Seats3: | 3 | Leader4: | David Ishkhanyan | Party4: | Armenian Revolutionary Federation | Percentage4: | 6.47 | Last Election4: | 7 | Seats4: | 3 | Leader5: | Ashot Ghulian | Party5: | Democratic Party of Artsakh | Percentage5: | 5.86 | Last Election5: | 6 | Seats5: | 2 | President of the National Assembly | Before Election: | Ashot Ghulian | Before Party: | Democratic Party of Artsakh | After Election: | Arthur Tovmasyan | After Party: | Free Motherland |
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General elections were held in the Republic of Artsakh on 31 March 2020, with a second round of the presidential election on 14 April. Voters elected the President and 33 members of the National Assembly. It was the first (and only) time the President and National Assembly were elected at the same time.
The Free Motherland - UCA Alliance, United Motherland, Justice, ARF, and the Democratic Party won seats in National Assembly. No party won the majority of seats, which means that coalition talks are likely to be held within parties.[1]
Presidential candidate Arayik Harutyunyan came first in the first round of the presidential election. A run-off between him and incumbent Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan was held on 14 April 2020. However, Masis Mayilyan made an announcement urging the people of Artsakh not to participate in the second round of elections in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.[2] [3] As a result, the majority of Mayilyan's voters from the first round did not vote, and turnout in the second round declined by nearly 30%. However, a majority of Harutyunyan's voters did return to the polls for the second round, in spite of the call to avoid spreading COVID-19, giving him a wide margin of victory in the second round.
Background
Presidential elections were initially scheduled to be held by popular vote in 2017, five years after the 2012 elections. However, after a constitutional referendum in 2017, the country switched from a semi-presidential system to a presidential system. As a result, in the 2017 presidential elections the National Assembly re-elected Bako Sahakyan as president for the next three years until the general election.[4] [5]
The incumbent President Bako Sahakyan declared that he would not run in the elections.[6] [7]
Electoral system
The President of Artsakh was elected using a two-round system. If a candidate took more than 50% of the overall vote, he or she was declared elected. If the 50% threshold was not met by any candidate, a second round of voting would be held. In the second round, only the two most popular candidates from the first round could participate. The winner of the second round would be elected President of Artsakh.
Members of the National Assembly were elected by proportional representation, with between 27 and 33 MPs; the number would be defined by the Electoral Code.[8]
Presidential candidates
Conduct
140 international observers from 38 countries were registered with the Central Election Commission to monitor the election. At the time of the election, Artsakh's border with Armenia was closed to non-essential travel due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, international observers were granted an exception provided they first test negative for COVID-19.
Several members of the United States Congress announced that their office employees and senior advisers would visit Artsakh to observe the elections. Congressman Frank Pallone stated that "We want to highlight that democracy works in Artsakh and is in accordance with all the standards of free society."
Prior to the second round of the presidential election, around 200 protesters took to the streets of Stepanakert alleging fraud in the elections held on 31 March. The protestors called for the annulment of the election results, and demanded the unconditional resignation of President Bako Sahakyan, Chief of Police Levon Mnatsakanyan and Secretary of the Security Council Arshavir Gharamyan, as well as fresh elections.[14]
Results
President
Presidential candidate Arayik Harutyunyan came first in the first round of the presidential election. A run-off between him and incumbent Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan was held on 14 April 2020. Masis Mayilyan made an announcement prior to the second round urging the people of Artsakh not to participate in the second round of elections in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, the majority of Mayilyan's voters from the first round did not vote, and turnout in the second round declined by nearly 30%. However, a majority of Harutyunyan's voters did return to the polls for the second round, in spite of the call to avoid spreading COVID-19, giving him a wide margin of victory in the second round.
National Assembly
The Free Motherland - UCA Alliance, United Motherland, Justice, ARF, and the Democratic Party won seats in National Assembly. No party won the majority of seats, which means that coalition talks are likely to be held within parties.
International reaction
The European Union,[15] the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,[16] the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development,[17] the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States,[18] several governments and embassies of several countries in Turkey or Azerbaijan announced that they did not recognize the election.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31]
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan both congratulated the people of Artsakh on the occasion of the elections.[32] [33] [34]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Արցախի խորհրդարանի "քաղաքական քարտեզը". ի՞նչ համագործակցություններ կլինեն. "Փաստ". 1in.am. 2020-04-05.
- Web site: Մասիս Մայիլյանը կոչ է անում համավարակի պայմաններում չմասնակցել երկրորդ փուլի քվեարկությանը. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան. hy. 2020-04-05.
- Web site: Կոչ եմ անում կորոնավիրուսի վտանգի պայմաններում չմասնակցել երկրորդ փուլի քվեարկությանը․ Մասիս Մայիլյան. news.am. hy. 2020-04-05.
- http://media-center.am/en/1487755829 The new constitution of Artsakh will lead to concentration of power and resources
- News: Bako Sahakyan re-elected President of Artsakh. mediamax.am. 22 July 2017. en.
- Web site: Բակո Սահակյանը 2020-ին չի առաջադրվի նախագահի պաշտոնում. https://web.archive.org/web/20200913021739/https://www.civilnet.am/news/2018/06/11/%D4%B2%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%B8-%D5%8D%D5%A1%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%A8-2020-%D5%AB%D5%B6-%D5%B9%D5%AB-%D5%A1%D5%BC%D5%A1%D5%BB%D5%A1%D5%A4%D6%80%D5%BE%D5%AB-%D5%B6%D5%A1%D5%AD%D5%A1%D5%A3%D5%A1%D5%B0%D5%AB-%D5%BA%D5%A1%D5%B7%D5%BF%D5%B8%D5%B6%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B4/339136. dead. September 13, 2020. www.civilnet.am. hy. 1 February 2019.
- Web site: Բակո Սահակյանը հայտարարել է 2020-ին չառաջադրվելու որոշման մասին. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան. hy. 1 February 2019.
- http://www.nankr.am/en/1838 Article 107
- Web site: Ո՞վ է հավակնում 2020 թվականին դառնալ Արցախի նախագահ. ընդդիմությունը լուրջ է տրամադրված. Armtimes.com. hy. 1 February 2019.
- Web site: «Արցախի հանրապետական» կուսակցությունը որոշել է սատարել Արայիկ Հարությունյանի թեկնածությունը. infocom.am.
- Web site: Candidacies of Artsakh FM Masis Mayilyan, President spokesperson Davit Babayan nominated at upcoming presidential elections in Artsakh - aysor.am - Hot news from Armenia. www.aysor.am.
- https://www.evnreport.com/spotlight-karabakh/artsakh-presidential-race-goes-to-second-round-in-historically-competitive-election Artsakh Presidential Race Goes to Second Round in Historically Competitive Election
- Web site: Artsakh's 2020 Election: The Essential Primer. www.evnreport.com. en. 2020-04-04.
- Web site: Լեւոն Մնացականյանի եւ Արշավիր Ղարամյանի հրաժարականը. Բողոքի ակցիա Ստեփանակերտում . Lragir . 16 April 2020 . hy . 5 April 2020.
- News: Nagorno-Karabakh: Statement by the Spokesperson on the so-called presidential and parliamentary elections . 17 April 2020 . . 31 March 2020.
- https://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=23305&t_ref=13971&lan=fr L'OCI rejette la tenue d'élections dans le Nagorno-Karabakh occupé
- https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/karabakh/3215786.html GUAM condemns so-called “elections” in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories
- https://www.turkkon.org/en/haberler/statement-by-the-cooperation-council-of-turkic-speaking-states_1986 STATEMENT BY THE COOPERATION COUNCIL OF TURKIC SPEAKING STATES
- https://twitter.com/AusAmbTurkey/status/1246007124431212549 Australia supports the territorial integrity of #Azerbaijan and does not recognise the ‘elections’ which took place in Nagorno-Karabakh on 31 March
- https://azertag.az/en/xeber/Illegal_elections_in_the_occupied_territories_of_the_Republic_of_Azerbaijan-1434601?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=9bcaa707a104cb2b63975814e88fcfc320c1d715-1585691544-0-AQIfyO7FOldR6ofqPeoJ9MIxhzwc2UcKSPA7m2GYBfM-5caTAe4Sw06MiXX2p1NDMs5Pjnzw5d06DeMGiDXE5cVL2a7F2ROaF2ZF6Vprbj8p7DuzvhqFpJ-ZnIMM2TUvWEaQs3zyC9LJL-CTvRz6kGmib8z46YYM0HnrvFQpg9bjyFj_jrmgrytQqrBY58oFzB5FWyL2fv5JHYKjEYYBMwK0LjHMonnIvEZI3H0pJ0z-tuSvoEFMIzS_ya4QYgGGVjtcAZ4CW_tQ7CcZdzXiGvQILaNGf23PM9DwU9PkXv0VZbc6VCvBgI4XrohibdOQu-HVQz1iVjbJ8DSrOkE6mtJebMfFa14PbNMJ9BJZPDXtUBAjyU4gAlVrLt6fXdgB_JQcw74nvnxd0vjq235Iids Illegal “elections” in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan
- https://twitter.com/CanEmbTurkey/status/1245350594174488577 Canada supports the territorial integrity Azerbaijan and doesn’t recognize the so-called “elections” held in Nagorno-Karabakh on 31/3
- https://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/issues_and_press/mfa_statements/x2020_04_01_statement_of_the_mfa_on_presidential_and.html Statement of the MFA on „Presidential and Parliamentary Elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh
- https://twitter.com/MFAestonia/status/1244942719522344960 Estonia MFA: Estonia does not consider the so-called elections in Nagorno Karabakh as legitimate. We continue to support the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
- Ana Dumbadze. Georgian MFA: We Don't Recognize "Elections" in N. Kharabkh . Georgia Today. 1 April 2020.
- https://twitter.com/GERonOstpolitik/status/1245225729534709761 We do not recognize the legal framework of the so called „presidential and parliamentary elections“ that took place yesterday in #Nagorno-Karabakh. Both the elections and their results are considered illegal.
- https://twitter.com/ItalyMFA/status/1245036080094724097 No of the so-called presidential and parliamentary elections in #NagornoKarabakh by Italy.
- https://twitter.com/Latvian_MFA/status/1244981945798479875
- Latvia does not consider the so-called presidential and parliamentary elections in #NagornoKarabakh as legitimate
- https://twitter.com/MFA_MNE/status/1245682296520351745 MFA Montenegro: The so-called “presidential and parliamentary elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh, held on March 31, 2020 don’t serve that goal, nor can prejudice the determination of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh, or the outcome of the ongoing negotiation process
- https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/elections-in-upper-karabakh-null-and-void-turkish-foreign-ministry-says Elections in Upper Karabakh null and void, Turkish Foreign Ministry says
- http://kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/ukrinform-ukraine-condemns-elections-in-nagorno-karabakh.html?cn-reloaded=1 UkrInform: Ukraine condemns elections in Nagorno-Karabakh
- https://www.news.az/articles/karabakh/147059 UK does not recognize so-called “elections” in occupied Azerbaijani territories
- Web site: President Armen Sarkissian's address on the occasion of state elections in the Republic of Artsakh - Press releases - Updates - The President of the Republic of Armenia. www.president.am. en. 2020-04-04.
- Web site: Armenia's prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said elections in Artsakh were of high-quality - aysor.am - Hot news from Armenia. www.aysor.am. en. 2020-04-04.
- Web site: Pashinyan praises "high-quality" Artsakh elections. armenpress.am. en. 2020-04-04.