Mayor of Martuni of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Hayk Sargsyan has resigned and posted the following on his Facebook page:

“Dear citizens,

The nationwide elections held on March 31 and April 14 strengthened, once again, our persistence for nation-building with democratic values, and our struggle has initially been to shape a free, sovereign, legitimate and exemplary country.

In the context of these efforts, the purpose of my nomination for the position of mayor during the elections of local self-government bodies last year was to make Martuni a better city, and I would sincerely like to express gratitude to all citizens for their votes.

Today I would like to touch upon a topic that made me make the decision to resign. You all remember the incident through which I tried to prevent the potential clash between members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun political party and young people of Martuni during the pre-election period, not allowing them to enter Martuni.

Yes, it was my omission, and I accept it with dignity. However, I regret to state that some forces have turned the incident into a topic for political speculation, and they are consistently trying to cast a shade on the nationwide elections held in Artsakh.

My past and the love and responsibility for my country and people don’t give me the moral right to follow the process at ease. I thank each and every one of you for the short, yet meaningful collaboration. I would like to ask you to be forgiving and understanding. I wish us all health during this difficult pandemic.”