The amendment proposed by Harutiunian last month will empower the Karabakh parliament to elect an interim president in case of his resignation. The president would serve for the rest of Harutiunian’s five-year term in office which ends in 2025.
The proposed change was unanimously passed in the first reading. It could take effect before the end of this month.
The unrecognized republic’s constitution has stipulated until now that Harutiunian’s resignation would lead to the automatic dissolution of the parliament and the conduct of fresh presidential and parliamentary elections. Most local political actors agree that Azerbaijan, which has been blocking Karabakh’s land link with Armenia for the last three months, could thwart such polls.
A spokeswoman for Harutiunian last month attributed the draft amendment to “geopolitical regional developments” and “external and internal political challenges” facing Karabakh. She insisted that the Karabakh leader has no plans to resign.
However, a lawmaker affiliated with Harutiunian’s Free Fatherland party did not rule out such a possibility when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Thursday.
“I have no such information. Events are developing at lightning speed,” said Aramayis Aghabekian.
Tigran Abrahamian, an Armenian opposition parliament and a former adviser to Harutiunian’s predecessor Bako Sahakian, claimed that Harutiunian could step down right after the change comes into force. He said he is concerned that Harutiunian’s party could strike a deal with another political group to install a new president who “does not inspire public trust.”
Harutiunian first fuelled talk of his resignation in January when he signaled his desire to force snap elections in Karabakh despite the Azerbaijani blockade.