Macky Sall vs Robert Kocharyan

Macky Sall won the presidential election in a runoff against incumbent Abdoulaye Wade. His victory was seen as a defense of democratic norms after Wade's controversial third-term bid.

Sall launched the Plan Senegal Emergent, a national development strategy focusing on infrastructure, agriculture, and energy. The plan aimed to achieve middle-income status by 2035.

Sall oversaw a constitutional referendum that reduced the presidential term from seven to five years and limited the president to two terms. The reform was intended to strengthen democratic institutions.

Sall was re-elected in the first round with 58.3% of the vote. The election was peaceful but criticized by opposition for excluding some candidates, though international observers noted improvements.

Kocharyan was a key military and political leader during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He served as the chairman of the State Defense Committee of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, overseeing the defense of the region against Azerbaijani forces.

Kocharyan was appointed Prime Minister by President Ter-Petrosyan. He had previously been the de facto leader of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and his appointment was part of a power-sharing arrangement to integrate Karabakh leaders into Armenian politics.

As Prime Minister, Kocharyan signed the Treaty of Moscow, a friendship and cooperation agreement with Russia. This treaty strengthened military and economic ties between Armenia and Russia, including the extension of the Russian military base in Armenia.

Kocharyan won the presidential election with 59% of the vote, succeeding Levon Ter-Petrosyan. He was the first president of Armenia to come from Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region, and his election was controversial due to allegations of fraud.

Kocharyan was arrested on charges related to the 2008 post-election crackdown, accused of overthrowing the constitutional order. He was released on bail multiple times, and the case became a major political issue in Armenia, with supporters calling it politically motivated.