Leader of the Free Homeland Party and presidential candidate of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Arayik Harutyunyan, who has garnered 87% of votes of the presidential elections based on non-official data, wrote the following on his Facebook page:

“Dear compatriots, I congratulate all of us on the end of the nationwide elections, and the occasion is rather weighty since we all managed to hold both rounds of the elections without turbulence amid the pandemic.

My supporters and the supporters of the other candidates probably thought these elections were predetermined and participation was not mandatory. Alongside this, we can record the transition of the Republic of Artsakh to the next level of democracy. No election is perfect, not even in much more developed countries. When our international colleagues visit our region after a while, they will be able to assess our commitment to exercise fundamental human rights and compare us with certain recognized countries.

We’re moving forward. It is our duty to build a prosperous future for our people. I wish us all success.”