The presidential term of Samvel Shahramanyan, President of the Republic of Artsakh, ends on May 21. He was elected on September 9, 2023.

According to Metakse Hakobyan, a member of the Justice faction in the National Assembly of Artsakh, while Shahramanyan’s term expires, it doesn’t mean elections must be held immediately, as reported by Panorama.am .

The election of a new president is expected within the next 10 days. Under the Constitution and procedural laws of Artsakh, elections can be held no sooner than the seventh day from today and no later than the tenth day. This period allows time for candidate registration.

“We’re clearly not in a standard situation. We’re not physically in Artsakh to carry out a normal political process. That’s why, thinking ahead to this very situation over a year and a half ago, we amended the Constitution to preserve the presidency without tying it to specific individuals. Despite the many challenges, we succeeded,” Hakobyan stated.

She emphasized that the key priority is to maintain the institution of the presidency, and the public will soon be informed of developments.

The constitutional changes stipulate that the president is now elected by the National Assembly, given that holding general elections in Artsakh is currently impossible. A candidate must secure two-thirds of the Assembly votes—22 deputies—to be elected.

Candidate registration is set to begin within hours. Each of the Assembly’s five factions may nominate a candidate.

“In this situation, we must stay united from the outset and seek a consensus candidate. We’re striving for parliamentary unity, working together regardless of faction to resolve this. Our group is not nominating anyone individually; we’ll determine during consultations who has the broadest support. Without revealing details, we’re inclined to keep things as they are,” Hakobyan noted.

“Even if any faction nominates separately, the 22 deputies understand the reality. None are acting out of personal, political, or factional ambition,” she added.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale assault on Artsakh, subjecting the entire region to intense shelling. A day later, on September 20, Artsakh authorities accepted a ceasefire proposed by the Russian peacekeeping command, agreeing to Baku’s terms, including the disarmament of the Defense Army and the dissolution of the Republic. Forced displacement began on September 24, with over 100,000 people fleeing to Armenia. Reports suggest only about 20 Armenians remain in Artsakh. On September 28, President Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving the republic, effective January 1, 2024.