Artsakh Republic National Assembly

"Justice", "Armenian Revolutionary Federation"

and "Democratic Party of Artsakh" Factions

STATEMENT

Dear compatriots!

These days in May 2020, in the manner prescribed by the Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh, the new authorities elected as a result of the elections of March 31 and April 14 of the same year, assumed the powers - the President of the Republic of Artsakh and the National Assembly of the seventh convocation.

Last year we faced the multi-layered impact of the humanitarian crisis created by the war, the fact that there are thousands of dead, wounded, hundreds of missing, captives and hostages, the loss of most of the Artsakh Republic, the loss of tens of thousands of migrants and a large chunk of national wealth. This is what we have a year after the 2020 national elections and the inauguration of the President.

As a result of the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan, Artsakh faced political, military, economic, social and demographic challenges. The existence and future of Artsakh depends on their quick and effective solution.

Having assessed the situation immediately after the war the four factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh together, we offered to the e facto leaders of Armenia and Artsakh to resign, giving the way for change and crisis management, which have become vital demands in the two Armenian republics.

Taking into account the constitutional regulations of the Artsakh Republic, we did not demand the immediate resignation of the Artsakh President at that time and, moreover, we expressed our readiness to create an environment of consensus through political consultations.

There were hopes, that incumbent President Arayik Harutyunyan will correctly perceive the situation. The message he issued on December 16 last year contained the provisions we proposed, regarding the future of the country and the reform of the system of public administration. However, further processes showed that Arayik Harutyunyan is not interested in keeping the agreements reached; he is guided by the intention to satisfy the wishes of the discredited authorities of the Republic of Armenia.

For the past six months after the November 9, 2020 humiliating trilateral agreement,

the government headed by the President of Artsakh and the occasionally created and destroyed incompatible political coalitions driven by narrow group interests

in the parliament have not submitted any adequate explanation and or proposal on about the disaster that befell us and the plans to get out of it. On the contrary, the President of Artsakh and his exaggerated government team launched an incomprehensible propaganda campaign, blaming the former authorities, the army, reservists and volunteers, and ultimately the people, for the defeat and failure in the catastrophic war.

Proceeding from these realities, the "Justice", "Armenian Revolutionary Federation" and "Democratic Party of Artsakh" factions of the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic renew the demand for the resignation of the Artsakh President in the November 10, 2020 statement and call on Arayik Harutyunyan, soberly assessing the situation, to adhere to his readiness to resign and to make a statement on starting early elections in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh.

At the same time, taking into account the prevailing public moods among the population of Artsakh, we demand from the incumbent President of Artsakh to refrain from any steps to support the incumbent authorities in the forthcoming snap elections in Armenia and the use of state resources for that purpose.

Stepanakert

May 20, 2021

ARTSAKH REPUBLIC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

"JUSTICE" faction

"ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY DASHNAKTSUTYUN" faction

"ARTSAKH DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARTSAKH" Faction