Artsakh’s National Security Service (NSS) issued a warning today to “various political forces” not to foment political strife on the eve of tomorrow’s election of a new president by the parliament.

The NSS accused these unnamed forces of organizing demonstrations and attempting to destabilize domestic life.

“In case of threats aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order, the national security service is ready for decisive actions,” the NSS statement reads.

Arayik Harutyunyan resigned as Artsakh president on September 1, citing a lack of public trust in the government.

Acting Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Gagik Baghunts today announced that the ruling Free Motherland-UCA Alliance, along with the Justice, Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Democratic Party of Artsakh factions, have nominated Samvel Shahramanyan, who was appointed Minister of State by the last decree of Arayik Harutyunyan, as their presidential candidate.

Shahramanyan served as Artsakh NSS director during the presidential tenure (2007-2020) of Bako Sahakyan

The United Motherland faction, the second largest in the parliament with nine seats, nominated former Artsakh defense minister Samvel Babayan for the post of president.

His nomination was rejected because he didn’t meet the ten-year residency requirement and thus could not be considered a citizen of Artsakh.

Babayan responded that he, like all Artsakh residents, carry the blue passport of the Republic of Armenia and uses it to vote in elections in Armenia and Artsakh.

Babayan said his faction would boycott tomorrow’s parliamentary vote and will organize a protest rally in Stepanakert.

Babayan said the outcome of the vote is a “done deal” and claimed that former Artsakh presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan met in private one night to hammer out an agreement on who should be the next president.