President of Artsakh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Artsakh
Coat of arms of Artsakh
Longest serving Bako Sahakyan 7 September 2007 – 21 May 2020
Residence	Presidential Palace
Seat	Stepanakert
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Robert Kocharyan
Formation	29 December 1994
Final holder	Samvel Shahramanyan
Abolished	1 January 2024

The President of the Republic of Artsakh was the main leader of the de facto Republic of Artsakh. "De facto" means that Artsakh acted like an independent country, even though not all other countries officially recognized it. The president was both the head of state (the symbolic leader of the country) and the head of government (the person in charge of running the country's daily affairs).

In 2017, the people of Artsakh voted in a special election called a constitutional referendum. They decided to change their government system to a presidential system. This meant the president would have more power.

Arayik Harutyunyan was chosen as president in the 2020 Artsakhian general election. He stepped down on September 1, 2023. A few days later, on September 9, 2023, Samvel Shahramanyan was elected by Artsakh's parliament to take his place. However, following events in September 2023, Artsakh decided to end its existence as a republic by January 1, 2024.

What the President Did

The constitution was like a rulebook for the country. It gave the president a lot of important jobs and powers. The president was in charge of the executive branch, which is the part of the government that carries out laws. The president also represented Artsakh to other countries.

Here are some of the main things the president was responsible for:

• Managing the country's plans both inside Artsakh and with other countries.
• Overseeing all the government departments and how they worked.
• Deciding how the government and other state groups should be set up.
• Choosing and removing the state minister and other ministers.
• Managing the country's money and property.
• Representing Artsakh in meetings with other countries and signing agreements.
• Being the commander-in-chief (the top leader) of the Artsakh Defence Army. This meant the president could appoint and remove the top leaders of the armed forces.
• Suggesting new laws to the National Assembly (Artsakh's parliament).
• Giving speeches to the people and the National Assembly.
• Proposing a candidate for the Prosecutor General (the country's chief lawyer) to the National Assembly.
• Taking action during natural disasters or other emergencies, and if needed, declaring a state of emergency.
• Giving out awards, medals, and special titles.
• Deciding if prisoners could be pardoned (forgiven for their crimes).
• Making decisions about who could become a citizen of Artsakh or lose their citizenship.
• Issuing official orders and decrees.

How the President Was Chosen

The president was elected by the people of Artsakh.

Who Could Be President?

To become president, a person had to meet certain rules from the constitution:

• They had to be at least 35 years old.
• They had to be a citizen of Artsakh only for the last ten years.
• They had to have lived permanently in Artsakh for the last ten years.

How Long Was a President's Term?

The president was elected for a five-year term. They could be reelected only one time, meaning they could serve a maximum of two terms.

Leaders of Artsakh (1992–2024)

Here is a list of the people who led Artsakh, first as Chairmen of the Supreme Council, and then as Presidents.

Chairmen of the Supreme Council (1992–1994)

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Artur Mkrtchyan (1959–1992)	7 January 1992	14 April 1992 †	98 days	ARF
–		Georgi Petrosian (born 1952) Acting	15 April 1992	14 June 1993	1 year, 60 days	ARF
–		Karen Baburyan [hy] (1954–2011) Acting	14 June 1993	29 December 1994	1 year, 198 days	Independent

Presidents (1994–2024)

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Robert Kocharyan (born 1954)	29 December 1994	20 March 1997	2 years, 81 days	Independent	1996
–		Leonard Petrosyan (1952–1999) Acting	20 March 1997	8 September 1997	172 days	Independent	–
2		Arkadi Ghukasyan (born 1957)	8 September 1997	7 September 2007	10 years	Independent	1997 2002
3		Bako Sahakyan (born 1960)	7 September 2007	21 May 2020	12 years, 257 days	Independent	2007 2012 2017
4		Arayik Harutyunyan (born 1973)	21 May 2020	1 September 2023	3 years, 103 days	Free Motherland	2020
–		Davit Ishkhanyan (born 1968) Acting	1 September 2023	10 September 2023	9 days	ARF	–
5		Samvel Shahramanyan (born 1978)	10 September 2023	1 January 2024	1 year, 290 days	Independent	2023

Latest Election

The most recent election for president was in 2023.

Timeline of Presidents

This timeline shows when each president served.

Images for kids

• Karen Baburyan.jpg

  Karen Baburyan, acting Chairman of the Supreme Council

See also

• Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
• State Minister of Artsakh
• President of the National Assembly of Artsakh