The president of the Republic of Artsakh is the head of state and head of government of the government-in-exile of the once de facto Republic of Artsakh. In a constitutional referendum held in 2017, citizens of the republic voted in favor of adopting a presidential system of governance. Arayik Harutyunyan was elected president in the 2020 Artsakhian general election. He resigned on 1 September 2023. On 9 September 2023, Samvel Shahramanyan was elected president by Artsakh's parliament to replace Harutyunyan. Following the Azerbaijani offensive on 19 September 2023, Artsakh agreed to dissolve itself by 1 January 2024, however instead of dissolving, they established a government-in-exile in Yerevan, Armenia. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has since severely opposed the government-in-exile's existence in Armenia.

Constitutional powers

The constitution granted significant power to the president who controls the executive branch, represented the state abroad and appointed the ministers. The president was also the commander-in-chief of the Artsakh Defence Army and had the right to appoint and dismiss the supreme command of the armed forces and other troops. Article 93 of the former constitution outlined functions of the president:

Election

Requirements

The Constitution of Artsakh requires that the president should be at least 35-years-old, being a citizen of only of the Republic of Artsakh for the preceding ten years and having resided permanently only in Artsakh at least preceding ten years.

Term limits

The president is elected for a five-year term and could be reelected only once.

List of heads of state (1992–2024)

Chairmen of the Supreme Council (1992–1994)

Presidents (1994–2024)

Latest election

Timeline

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