Nagorno-Karabakh Republic - Government and Politics

Government and Politics

Nagorno-Karabakh is a presidential democracy. The executive power rests mainly with the president. The president appoints and dismisses the prime minister. The National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh is the parliament, forming a unicameral legislature. It has 33 members who are elected for 5 year terms. The current President is Bako Sahakian. Next presidential elections are scheduled on July 19, 2012. Incumbent president Sahakyan will challenge it for the second term.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has a multi-party system; as of 2009, American organization Freedom House ranks Nagorno-Karabakh Republic above the republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of political and civil rights. Three organisations currently have members in the parliament, Democratic Party of Artsakh has 18 members, Free Motherland has 8 members, and the Movement 88 alliance has 3 members. A number of non-partisan candidates also take part in elections, and with some success; in 2005, eight of the 33 members to the National Assembly successfully took their seat without officially running under the banner of established political parties in the republic.