2010 Nagorno-Karabakh parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on 23 May 2010.[1][2]

2010 Nagorno-Karabakh parliamentary election

23 May 2010
All 33 seats in the National Assembly
Party Leader % Seats ± Free Motherland Arayik Harutyunyan 44.2% 14 +4 Democratic Party Ashot Ghulian 27.0% 6 -4 ARF Vitaly Balasanian 19.1% 6 +3 Independent – – 7 -1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Background

Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence from Azerbaijan in 1991. The First Nagorno-Karabakh War took place between 1988 and 1994 which resulted in Nagorno-Karabakh, with Armenian support, becoming de facto independent from Azerbaijan. However it has not been internationally recognised and Azerbaijan still claims the area as part of its state.[3]

Several changes to the election process were made since the previous election in 2005. Whereas previously, 22 of the parliament's 33 seats were filled using party-list proportional representation and 11 using first-past-the-post, the distribution for these elections is 17–16. Another change concerns the lowering of the election threshold from 10% to 6% (for political parties) and from 15% to 8% (for electoral blocs).[2]

A total of 94,900 voters are registered for the election, about 66% of the total population of Nagorno-Karabakh.[4]

Contesting parties

Before the elections, it became clear very few opposition parties would contest.[2] Four parties contesting the 17 list-based seats are registered: Free Motherland (FM), led by Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, the Democratic Party of Artsakh (DPA), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARM) and the Communist Party of Artsakh (CPA). Of these parties, only the communists did not support president Bako Sahakyan in the 2007 election. 44 More candidates stand for election in the 16 FPTP constituencies.[4]

Opinion polls

Institute	Date	FM	DPA	ARF	CPA	Independents
Sociometer Center	May 2010	13	11	5	0	4

Results

With about 50% of the votes counted, Free Motherland led the count with 45.8% of the votes. The DPA was at 30.7% and the ARF at 18.2%. The CP was below the electoral threshold of 6% (5.34%), which means it might be difficult for them to get a seat.[5]

The Communist Party failed to cross the electoral threshold and did not win any seats.[6]

Party	Party-list			Constituency			Total seats	+/–
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
Free Motherland	29,252	44.2	8			6	14	+4
Democratic Party of Artsakh	18,017	27.0	5			1	6	–4
Armenian Revolutionary Federation	12,725	19.1	4			2	6	+3
Communist Party of Artsakh	3,057	4.6	0			0	0	0
Independents	–	–	–			7	7	–1
Invalid/blank votes	3,720	–	–		–	–	–	–
Total	66,771	100	17	64,329	100	16	33	0
Registered voters/turnout	98,518	67.8	–	95,866	67.1	–	–	–
Source: CEC, Caucasian Knot

Reactions

About 120 international observers from France, Russia, USA, Italy, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Argentina, Ireland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Iran, Netherlands, Canada, Slovakia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria, and others, as well as a big group of observers from Armenia observed the elections.[7][8] Later the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast stated that Iran had not delegated any observers.[9] Azerbaijan made a black list of the international observers who visited Nagorno-Karabakh and declared them personae non-gratae.[10]

Various international organisations and countries issued statements refusing to recognise the 2010 elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, among them the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe,[11] the European Union,[12] the United Kingdom,[13] France,[14] Iran,[15] Russia,[16] Turkey,[17] and Lithuania.[18]

References

1. Maximiliano Herrera. "Electoral Calendar- world elections,US elections,presidential election,world parties". Mherrera.org. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
2. Hayrumyan, Naira (12 March 2010). "NKR votes 2010: Absence of opposition in Karabakh's upcoming polls". Armenia Now. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
3. "Karabakh holds disputed elections". BBC Online. 19 June 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
4. Hayrumyan, Naira (20 May 2010). "NKR Votes 2010: Candidates for parliament seats united in uncompromising stance on Karabakh settlement". Armenia Now. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
5. "Free Homeland Party Wins 45.8 percent of Votes in Karabakh Elections". Stepanakert: RIA Novosti/Yerevan Report. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
6. "На парламентских выборах в НКР победила партия "Свободная родина"". Karabakh News. 25 May 2010.
7. "Free Homeland party leads count in Karabakh parliamentary vote Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine." RIA Novosti. 24 May 2010.
8. "PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS HELD IN THE NKR". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
9. Иран опроверг информацию об участии своих наблюдателей на так называемых «парламентских выборах» в Нагорном Карабахе. Day.az. Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
10. "Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry: The foreigners, who observed the "elections" in Nagorno Karabakh, will be banned from arriving in Azerbaijan". APA Azerbaijan. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012.
11. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office comment on the 'parliamentary election' in Nagorno-Karabakh Archived 27 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
12. Disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh elects new parliament. Hurriyetdailynews.com (23 May 2010). Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
13. Q&A: Nagorno Karabakh – Lord Howell of Guildford. Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
14. Франция не признает выборы в НКР. A1plus.am. Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
15. Iran does not recognize parliamentary poll in Nagorno-Karabakh: FM Spokesman. Payvand.com. Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
16. Karabakh Voters Flock to Polls for Parliamentary Elections. Asbarez.com. Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
17. Turkey condemns election in Karabakh Archived 5 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Todayszaman.com (21 May 2010). Retrieved on 13 January 2012.
18. Lithuania confirms non-recognition of "parliamentary elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh. Inform.kz. Retrieved on 13 January 2012.