“Why didn't I resign earlier”: Araik Harutyunyan addresses several key questions

The former president of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, has resigned from the presidency of the Republic of Artsakh and has addressed several key questions regarding this decision.

“1. Why didn’t I resign earlier? The existing constitutional regulations stipulated that in the event of my resignation, simultaneous presidential and parliamentary extraordinary elections would need to be organized, and the feasibility of realizing that was highly uncertain, especially in conditions of a blockade. Therefore, I initiated and the National Assembly adopted an amendment to the Constitution to enable the election of a transitional President by the parliament during a state of emergency until the current President's powers expired. Article 168.1 of the Constitution took effect in July, after which I considered the appropriate timing multiple times; however, to avoid negatively impacting significant external political developments, I chose to wait for some time and made my decision at the end of August.

2. What will happen before the election of the new President of the Republic? As stipulated by the Constitution, the President of the National Assembly temporarily exercises the powers of the President of the Republic, which is merely a matter of a few days. Additionally, as I have announced, prior to my resignation, I appointed a new Minister of State with broad powers to help maintain the stability of the state system through that avenue.

3. Who will be the next President of the Republic? The resolution of this question is exclusively reserved to the National Assembly based on the proposals of the factions. Therefore, I urge the deputies to be guided by their conscience regarding the election of the President of the Republic and not to yield to various narrow group influences. I remind you that immediately after the 44-day war, I ceased my party activities and have no connection to the “Free Homeland” party. Thus, I cannot and do not wish to be involved in the formation of the position of the National Assembly’s “Free Homeland-ARD” faction, and they will determine their approaches entirely independently. Neither I nor any other third parties have the right to intervene in this process. I urge all political and public figures to show restraint and to be guided by the legislation of the Republic of Artsakh and a high democratic political culture. This is a crucial test for our state and political systems that we must pass honorably and smoothly. If any individual or group attempts to incite turbulence, it will be a serious blow to the constitutional order and future of the Republic of Artsakh.

Regarding the various statements heard from the Republic of Armenia in recent days, which are made in favor of or against any potential candidate, I simply ask those individuals not to interfere and disrupt the fragile stability of Artsakh's internal life, especially during such a critical time.

4. What will I do moving forward? First and foremost, I will stand by the newly elected President of the Republic, regardless of the individual, and I will support him with all my capabilities in addressing the current internal and external challenges honorably and effectively. Additionally, as I have announced, I will focus my main efforts on supporting the work of ensuring the security of Artsakh, without publicly disclosing details. I will not engage in internal political activities at all. Nevertheless, I will not go underground and will periodically make public statements on issues important for Artsakh,” Harutyunyan wrote on Facebook.

It is worth noting that earlier it was reported that Araik Harutyunyan announced his resignation.