Azerbaijan Votes In Presidential Poll
Azerbaijan Votes In Presidential Poll

Azerbaijan’s longtime ruler Ilham Aliyev is expected to win a new seven-year term in office on April 11 in a snap presidential vote boycotted by major opposition parties that accuse him of authoritarian rule and suppressing political dissent.

Seven other candidates are running in the election, which will be observed by international monitors, including the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE). Opposition parties have said they will boycott the vote, claiming that it is illegal and will be rigged.

The oil-rich Caucasus nation’s huge energy reserves and its strategic location along the Caspian Sea means it is viewed by Europe as an important alternative to Russian energy supplies.

Azerbaijan’s opposition, as well as Western governments and international human rights groups, have criticized Aliyev’s government for persistently persecuting independent media outlets, journalists, and opposition politicians and activists. The 56-year-old Aliyev has ruled the South Caucasus country of nearly 10 million people since shortly before his father’s death in 2003.

On February 5, Aliyev announced he was bringing forward the date of the vote to April 11 from October 17, a move his government said was necessary to avoid presidential and parliamentary elections clashing in 2025.

The move came after Azerbaijan’s Electoral Code was amended in December to allow snap presidential elections provided they are announced at least 60 days in advance, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.