I am proud to be nominated by the newly established Identity and Unity Party, and the fact that I am nominated by a newly established political party makes me feel twice as proud. This is what mayoral candidate of Stepanakert (capital of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Arayik Avanesyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He stated that other active political parties in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic aren’t supporting him and that he believes this is a good thing. “Winning these elections is very important for me, but I’m not ready to pay the price for that by becoming dependent. My only wish is to be an independent and democratic mayor.”

When asked what made him quit his job as a bank manager and get involved in politics, Avanesyan said he has decided to get involved in politics because the time has come to make changes.