We Are Obligated to Build a Prosperous Future for Our People: Araik Harutyunyan

We are obligated to build a prosperous future for our people. This was stated by Araik Harutyunyan, the leader of the "Free Hayrenik" party and a candidate for the presidency of Artsakh, who has unofficially received 87% of the votes from the electorate.

He wrote: "Dear compatriots, the nationwide election marathon of 2020 has concluded. I congratulate all of us! The reason for this congratulation is quite significant: amid the challenging circumstances imposed by the pandemic, we all managed to navigate the two rounds of voting without turmoil.

Let us leave the discussions on voter turnout to political analysts. My opinion is as follows: some of our compatriots, both supporters of mine and of other candidates, may have thought that the outcome of the election was predetermined, and that their participation was not essential.

Nevertheless, we acknowledge the transition of the Republic of Artsakh to the next stage of democracy. Perfection does not exist, even in much more established countries. In time, when international partners visit our region, they will be able to assess our commitment to the realization of basic human rights closely and compare it with certain recognized states.

We are moving forward. We are obligated to build a prosperous future for our people. Wishing success to all of us!"