Azerbaijan holds parliamentary election expected to retain presidential party’s dominance

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. He arrived at the polling station along with 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.

Aliyev’s father ruled Azerbaijan from 1993 until he died in 2003, then Ilham took over. Both have led the country with their heavy-handed rule, suppressing dissent as the country of almost 10 million people on the shores of the Caspian Sea basked in growing wealth from its huge oil and natural gas reserves.

“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 woman 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, in which the winners will govern the country for the next five years. 990 candidates are competing for 125 positions in parliamentary elections.

The ruling party currently holds 69 of the 125 seats in the parliament, 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 the presidential elections.

Elections 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. Still, Aliyev decreed it to take place two months early as it coincided with the capital, Baku, hosting the United Nations climate talks, known as COP29.

The election also comes just short of 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.

The 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 in the election.