Presidential elections were held in the

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...

on 19 July 2007. Incumbent president

Arkady Ghukasyan Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan ( hy, Արկադի Արշավիրի Ղուկասյան, born 22 June 1957) was the second President of Artsakh, President of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. He was elected as the President on 8 September ...

was constitutionally barred from seeking a third term and endorsed

Bako Sahakyan Bako Sahaki Sahakyan ( hy, Բակո Սահակի Սահակյան; born 30 August 1960) is an Artsakhi politician who served as the third president of the ''de facto''-independent Republic of Artsakh from 2007 to 2020. He is the longest-serving p ...

, who was the head of the National Security Service. Sahakyan was supported by the ruling

Democratic Party of Artsakh The Democratic Party of Artsakh ( hy, Արցախի ժողովրդավարական կուսակցություն; DPA, ''ԱԺԿ'') is a political party in the Republic of Artsakh. It was founded on 30 January 2005. Before that, in 2000–2005 ther ...

, two opposition parties and the Armenian government. Sahakyan's main challenger was considered to be Deputy Foreign Minister

Masis Mayilyan Masis Samveli Mayilyan ( Armenian:Մասիս Սամվելի Մայիլյան; born 14 September 1967) is an Artsakhi politician, diplomat and former presidential candidate. He is currently serving as ambassador-at-large of the Republic of Ar ...

. Parliament deputy Armen Abgaryan,

Communist Party of Artsakh The Communist Party of Artsakh () is a communist political party in the Republic of Artsakh. History The party failed to receive any seats in the National Assembly following the June 2005 elections, the May 2010 elections, and the May 2015 electi ...

leader Hrant Melkumyan, and Vanya Avanesyan, a professor at

Artsakh State University Artsakh State University is the oldest and largest university in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. Over the course of its 50-year history, Artsakh State University has produced over 20,000 graduates in 60 fields of study. Currently, the u ...

, were also candidates.

Results

International reactions

Numerous international organizations such as the UN, the EU,

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

, the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

, the

OSCE The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

did not recognize the legitimacy of the elections. The

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

presidency of the Council of the EU stated that despite their position, the elections "should not have any impact on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Furthermore, the EU recalls that refugees and internally-displaced persons should be given the right to a safe, secure and dignified return of their homes in order to fully participate in electoral acts." Similarly, the chair of the

’s

Committee of Ministers The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ( French: ''Comité des ministres du Conseil de l'Europe'') or Committee of Ministers ( French: ''Comité des ministres'') is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. It comprises the Forei ...

stated that it "reiterates its full support to the OSCE Minsk Group and its Co-Chairmen in their efforts towards a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It notes with concern that conducting such “elections”, thus pre-empting the outcome of the ongoing negotiations, cannot contribute to the resolution of the conflict. It calls on all parties concerned to intensify their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, in accordance with the commitment undertaken by Armenia and Azerbaijan upon accession to the Council of Europe."

Aftermath

Sahakyan was sworn in on 7 September 2007.H.E. Bako Sahakian, President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States. Accessed 17 July 2009.

References

{{Nagorno-Karabakh presidential elections Presidential elections in the Republic of Artsakh Nagorno Nagorno Presidential