Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev can prepare for a fifth term in office. With 92.05% of the vote, after more than 93% of the votes were counted, the Azerbaijani President has been re-elected, on Thursday the 8th of February, citing state media, reports Reuters.
According to Politico, repression of opposition figures and journalists has overshadowed the election. According to Freedom House, Azerbaijan is considered one of the least free countries in the world and “since the early 1990s, international observers have not considered the elections credible or competitive”, a claim denied by officials. In the period leading up to these elections,
at least 13 independent journalists have been arrested and there has been a crackdown on opposition figures and academics.
“Amnesty International also reported last week on a coordinated attack on civil society and the rule of law in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is a major exporter of gas to the European Union and has been recognised as an ‘important partner’ by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Aliyev took over in 2003 from his father, Heydar Aliyev, who had led the country as President since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
President Aliyev already on Wednesday evening,
even before his victory speech, had received congratulatory calls from world leaders, including Alexander Lukashenko. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was the first EU leader to congratulate Aliyev on his “overwhelming and indisputable victory”.
Although the European Parliament did not send a delegation to observe the Azerbaijani elections as it has done in previous years, Russian and Georgian representatives praised the effective organisation of elections.
Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council, has pointed out that it could serve as a model for the Russian presidential elections to be held in March.
Pro-government media reported on Wednesday evening on crowds in the streets of cities celebrating Aliyev’s re-election, while opposition activists have shared footage which they claim shows that there was disorder at polling stations and people have cast multiple votes.
Presidential elections in Azerbaijan were not due until 2025. Early elections were called shortly after Azerbaijan took over Nagorno-Karabakh in September and Aliyev had announced that he had called early elections to mark “the beginning of a new era” in Azerbaijan.
Also read: Azerbaijan officially abolishes Nagorno-Karabakh
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