Moutnainous (Nagorno) Karabakh Republic Prime Minister Leonard Petrosyan visited North America in May.

At a press conference in Los Angeles, on May 14, 1996, responding to a question, Petrosyan stated that there was only one political party in Karabakh and that was the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun organization in Karabakh.

“We find that during a national liberation struggle, when we are surrounded by visible and invisible enemies, our strength lies in our unity… Today all the parties, including the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun, are united on that issue,” Petrosyan said.

To another question whether the party was registered by the state and if party members served in the army, the Prime Minister responded: “Yes, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun is registered by the state. Party members [of any party] do not serve in the Karabakh army as party members. Party members that serve in the army must halt party activities during service. The army in Karabakh is completely nonpartisan. It is the army of the Armenian people, a symbol of statehood.”