Azerbaijan re-elects president

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 07 Feb 2024 by Alex Teddy

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On February 7 Azerbaijan's exit polls said that Ilham Aliyev is winning 94% of the vote. The polls have not yet closed. This comes as no surprise. He has ruled since his late father handed the role over to him in 2003. Every election Aliyev has won has failed to meet international standards of integrity. Even opposition candidates praised him effusively. The real opponent of the regime, the Popular Front, did not field a candidate saying it did not wish to lend credibility to a sham. The election will grant Aliyev another 7-year term of office. Official data said turnout was 70%. This datum is not credible. Most people are indifferent to the election because the outcome was never in doubt. Wall-to-wall media coverage encouraging people to vote Aliyev has little effect. State employees are often ordered to vote to make the election seem legitimate.  Azerbaijan took back almost the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia in 2023. This is genuinely popular. Aliyev called an election early to maximize his advantage. This also allowed the opposition less time to organize. Aliyev has been able to emphasize this victory and divert attention from rampant embezzlement, corruption, nepotism and denial of civil rights. Mrs. Aliyev is the Vice President. The first couple's three adult children all hold senior positions in state-owned companies.  Nagorno-Karabakh is having its infrastructure rebuilt but very few Azerbaijanis who fled from there in the 1990s have returned so far.  Azerbaijan is due to host the COP29 Summit in 2024. Western countries need Azeri oil and gas badly to reduce their imports from Russia. Therefore, they soft pedal any criticism of Aliyev.