ArmInfo.It is obvious that the people of Artsakh will make their own choice, but taking into account Armenia so that the elites of the two Armenian states can interact. The director of the Caucasus Institute, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan stated this in an interview with reporters.
Speaking about the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Artsakh, the expert said that in fact preparation for the pre-election period has already started in the Republic, which will change the general structure of power in the country.
"Candidates are already nominated and certain alliances are formed. In general, the main directions are already visible, they are at the stage of formation, and it seems that in principle it is clear between which candidates a serious political struggle will unfold. The campaign, although it does not look too violent, will be quite interesting", the expert forecasts.
However, Iskandaryan refused to forecast who of the candidates will win, not excluding various options for the development of processes. Iskandaryan noted that Artsakh closely monitors the development of the situation in Armenia, since any NKR president after the election needs good relations with the Armenian elite. "It always has been so. The Karabakh and Armenian leaders were supposed to be such personalities that could normally interact with each other. Now the situation is different, but all the efforts will be made to ensure such interaction", Iskandaryan noted.
The political scientist called Armenia and Artsakh communicating vessels, and a lot of what is happening in Artsakh depends on the situation in Armenia, and vice versa. At the same time, he noted that the results of the upcoming elections in Artsakh are unlikely to depend on the decision or choice of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan.
Speaking about the possible impact of Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan on the situation in the country after the resignation, the expert noted that it this will depend on which candidate wins.
"In any case, this will be a transfer of power, the person who comes to power will have the degree of power that the president possesses in accordance with the Artsakh constitution," he emphasized.
It should be noted that the former NKR State Minister, the head of the Free Homeland party Araik Harutyunyan, the Artsakh Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan, the former Minister of Defense, the hero of Artsakh Samvel Babayan are participating in the presidential race in Artsakh. The current president of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan, said that he would not participate in the 2020 elections.