Twenty-five political parties are participating in these elections, with the winners set to govern the country for the next five years. 990 candidates are competing for 125 positions in parliament.
Polls opened on Sunday in Azerbaijan for a snap parliamentary election, the first since it regained full control of a former breakaway territory in a lightning offensive last year.
The election comes amid regional challenges and ongoing geopolitical tensions, with international observers closely monitoring the process.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cast his ballot at a polling station in the Milli Mejlis parliament in Baku earlier in the day alongside his wife, Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, and their daughter, Leyla Aliyeva.
Previous elections since independence from the Soviet Union have not been regarded as fully free or fair, and the vote for the Milli Mejlis parliament is not expected to bring significant changes to the body dominated by President Ilham Aliyev‘s New Azerbaijan party.
“I am voting to enhance our education system, with the hope that in five years, there will be more job opportunities and less unemployment. I am voting for a better future and positive progress in our country,” said one voter.
“It is my duty to actively participate in the elections” said another voter. “That’s why I am here today—to vote for a stable and prosperous life” he added.
Twenty-five political parties are participating in these elections, with the winners set to govern the country for the next five years. 990 candidates are competing for 125 positions in parliament.
The ruling party currently holds 69 of the 125 seats, and most of the rest belong to small pro-government parties or independents.
This is the second time the people of Azerbaijan are voting in 2024. While they’re now electing their parliament, seven months ago they voted in presidential elections.
Elections come amid geopolitical tensions
The Musavat party, the major opposition formation, put forth 34 candidates for Sunday’s election, but only 25 were registered. The Republican Alternative opposition party will run 12 candidates.
Under the constitution, the election should have been held in November. But Aliyev decreed it to take place two months early as it originally coincided with the capital, Baku, hosting the United Nations climate talks, known as COP29.
The election also comes a year after Azerbaijani forces reclaimed in a military operation the Karabakh region, which since 1994 had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, and forced out its self-declared government.
Most of the region’s 120,000 Armenian residents fled the region in the face of the offensive.
“I voted for the development of Azerbaijan. I want to see our young generation grow and be employed here under better conditions,” says one Azerbaijani voter in the capital, Baku.
200 international observers were invited to the country by the Azerbaijani government to check in on various aspects of the election process, while the National Election Commission says 50 organisations will conduct observer missions.
ADVERTISEMENTThe largest observer contingent, from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is scheduled to present its preliminary assessment of the election on Monday.
More than 6.4 million people registered to vote.
