Elections in Azerbaijan

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After its independence from the Soviet Union, elections in Azerbaijan have frequently been affected by electoral fraud and other unfair election practices, such as holding opposition politicians as political prisoners. Since 1993, Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham Aliyev have been continuously in power. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Political scientists characterize Azerbaijan as an electoral authoritarian regime. [8] The ruling New Azerbaijan Party, headed by Ilham Aliyev, controls all the electoral commissions in Azerbaijan. [9]

The President of Azerbaijan is elected for a seven-year term by the people; before a constitutional referendum changed this in 2009, the position was limited to two terms. The National Assembly (Milli Məclis) has 125 members. Before 2005, 100 members were elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies and 25 members were elected by proportional representation. Since 2005 all 125 members are elected in single-seat constituencies. Azerbaijan is a one party dominant state. The most recent parliamentary elections were held on Sunday, 9 February 2020. The most recent presidential election was held on Wednesday, 11 April 2018.

On the 7th December 2023, President Aliyev announced a snap presidential election would take place in 2024, rather than holding it in 2025. [10] The election will be held on the 7th February 2024.

Latest elections

Soviet Azerbaijani election poster, 1937 Poster of Azerbaijan 1937. Ittifaq Sovetin@ seckil@r.jpg
Soviet Azerbaijani election poster, 1937

2020 Azerbaijani parliamentary election

Azerbaidjan Assemblee nationale 2020.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
New Azerbaijan Party 70+1
Civic Solidarity Party 3+1
Motherland Party 10
Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party 10
Great Order Party 10
Democratic Reforms Party 10
Unity Party 10
Civic Unity Party 10
Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party 10
Azerbaijan Social Prosperity Party 0–1
National Revival Movement Party 0–1
Azerbaijani Social Democratic Party 0–1
Independents41–2
Invalidated4
Total1250
Total votes2,510,135
Registered voters/turnout5,359,01546.84
Source: MSK IPU

2024 presidential election

CandidatePartyVotes%
Ilham Aliyev New Azerbaijan Party 4,567,45892.12
Zahid Oruj Independent107,6322.17
Fazil Mustafa Great Order Party 98,4211.99
Qüdrat Hasanquliyev Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party 85,4111.72
Razi Nurullayev National Front Party 39,6430.80
Elşad Musayev  [ az ] Great Azerbaijan Party 32,8850.66
Fuad Aliyev  [ az ]Independent26,5170.53
Total4,957,967100.00
Valid votes4,957,96799.80
Invalid/blank votes9,8280.20
Total votes4,967,795100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,478,84076.68
Source: Turan Infocenter, CC

Past elections

Presidential elections

Parliamentary elections

Constitutional referendums

Other referendums

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan</span> Country straddling West Asia and Eastern Europe

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku is the capital and largest city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Armenia</span>

The politics of Armenia take place in the framework of the parliamentary representative democratic republic of Armenia, whereby the president of Armenia is the head of state and the prime minister of Armenia the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and the Government. Legislative power is vested in both the Government and Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Azerbaijan</span>

The Politics of Azerbaijan take place in an authoritarian system where elections are not free and fair, political opponents are repressed, civil rights are limited, human rights abuses are widespread, corruption is rampant, and power is concentrated in the hands of President Ilham Aliyev and his extended family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Kocharyan</span> Former leader of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Armenia

Robert Sedraki Kocharyan is an Armenian politician. He served as the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992 to 1994. He served as the second President of Armenia between 1998 and 2008 and as Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Azerbaijan Party</span> Azerbaijani political party

The New Azerbaijan Party is the ruling political party in Azerbaijan, founded on 21 November 1992 under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev. After his election as President of Azerbaijan on 3 October 1993, and the party's victory at 1995 parliamentary elections, YAP became the ruling party, a position it has held since. President Ilham Aliyev has been chairman of YAP since its 3rd congress held on 26 March 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijani Popular Front Party</span> Political party in Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani Popular Front Party is a political party in Azerbaijan, founded in 1989 by Abulfaz Elchibey. Since Elchibey was ousted from power in the 1993 military coup, the party has been one of the main opposition parties to the Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev authoritarian regimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Azerbaijani presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on 15 October 2003. As expected, Ilham Aliyev, son of the outgoing president, Heydar Aliyev, was officially elected with an overwhelming majority in a vote international observers deemed to be not to be free or fair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Azerbaijan</span> Position

The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", and "shall have the right of immunity [from prosecution]." The president rules through his executive office, the Presidential Administration, consisting of a group of secretaries and departmental ministers. Additionally, there is a Cabinet of Ministers regarding economic and social policy and a Security Council regarding foreign, military, and judicial matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Moldova</span>

Moldova elects a legislature at national level. The Parliament (Parlamentul) has 101 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation with a 6% electoral threshold. The President used to be elected for a four-year term by a constitutional majority of 60% members of the Parliament, but a Constitutional Court's ruling on 4 March 2016, reverted the election method of the President to a two-round system direct election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isa Gambar</span> Azerbaijani politician (born 1957)

Isa Yunis oghlu Gambar, also known as Isa Gambar, is an Azerbaijani politician and leader of the Equality Party (Müsavat), one of the opposition blocs in Azerbaijan. He was elected a member of parliament in 1990 and was elected parliamentary speaker in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan Communist Party (1993)</span> Azerbaijani political party

The Azerbaijan Communist Party is a communist party in Azerbaijan. AzKP was set up in 1993 by Ramiz Ahmadov and registered by the Justice Ministry in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Azerbaijani presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on 15 October 2008. Ilham Aliyev of the New Azerbaijan Party was re-elected with 89% of the vote. The election was not free and fair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Azerbaijani constitutional referendum</span>

A constitutional referendum was held in Azerbaijan on 18 March 2009. The referendum, initiated by the authoritarian Ilham Aliyev regime, consisted of 29 measures. The most controversial were a measure to abolish presidential term limits, enabling Aliyev to run for president beyond two terms, and a measure to greatly restrict press freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilham Aliyev</span> President of Azerbaijan since 2003

Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev is an Azerbaijani politician who is the fourth and current president of Azerbaijan. The son and second child of former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev, Aliyev became the country's president on 31 October 2003, after a two-month term as prime minister of Azerbaijan, through a presidential election defined by irregularities shortly before his father's death. He was reelected for a second term in 2008 and was allowed to run in elections indefinitely in 2013, 2018 and 2024 due to the 2009 constitutional referendum, which removed term limits for presidents. Throughout his electoral campaign, Aliyev was a member of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, which he has headed since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Azerbaijani parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Azerbaijan on 7 November 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Azerbaijani presidential election</span> Presidential Elections held in 2013 in Azerbaijan, considered rigged

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on 9 October 2013. The result was a victory for incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, who received a reported 85% of the vote, whilst leading opposition candidate Jamil Hasanli finished second with a reported 6% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Azerbaijani presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on 11 April 2018. The elections were the first since the 2016 constitutional referendum, which extended the presidential term from five to seven years. Incumbent President Ilham Aliyev was re-elected president for a seven-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zahid Oruj</span> Azerbaijani politician (born 1972)

Zahid Maharram oglu Orujov is an Azerbaijan politician and chairperson of the Azerbaijani Social Research Center (2019). Oruj is pro-government. He was a member of the pro-government Motherland Party from 1992 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Azerbaijani presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on 7 February 2024. Incumbent president Ilham Aliyev, who has held office since 2003, won a fifth consecutive term with over 92% of the vote, defeating his closest runner-up Zahid Oruj, who obtained just 2% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Azerbaijani parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections will be held in Azerbaijan on 1 September 2024. They were originally scheduled to take place in November 2024, but were brought forward after parliament was dissolved in June 2024.

References

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  6. Synovitz, Ron (7 February 2020). "Azerbaijan's 'Equal Coverage' Law Stifles Media Reports on Elections". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  7. Kramer, Richard Kauzlarich, David J. (11 April 2018). "Azerbaijan's Election Is a Farce". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 6 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. Sarkissian, Ani (2015). The Varieties of Religious Repression: Why Governments Restrict Religion. Oxford University Press. p. 80. ISBN   978-0-19-934808-4.
  9. "Azerbaijan Parliamentary Elections 2005: Summary". www.hrw.org. 2005.
  10. "Azerbaijan's Aliyev calls snap presidential elections for February". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 January 2024.