Presidential Election Under COVID-19 Conditions: Voting Has Begun in Artsakh

Voting for the second round of the presidential elections has begun in Artsakh. The candidates are Arayik Harutyunyan, the president of the "Free Homeland" party, and Masis Mayilian, the acting minister of foreign affairs and self-nominated candidate.

Despite Mayilian's call for citizens to refrain from participating in the second round due to the risks posed by the coronavirus, he has not withdrawn his candidacy but has announced that he will not take part in the voting.

As in the first round, a televised debate was expected for the second round; however, once again, Masis Mayilian did not participate. All questions were directed solely at one candidate, Arayik Harutyunyan.

It should be noted that on April 12, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree imposing a state of emergency for one month, which prohibits gatherings. However, this decision did not pertain to the conduct of the second round of elections.

Thus, the elections in Artsakh will take place under a state of emergency. According to the latest data, there are 6 confirmed coronavirus cases in Artsakh. The cases emerged a few days after the first round of elections held on March 31, where no candidate managed to secure "50+1 percent" of the votes. The candidate with the most votes received just a few hundred votes less, achieving 49.2 percent. Masis Mayilian garnered 26.4 percent of the votes in the first round.