December 2, 2005
New Azerbaijani Parliament Convenes, But Opposition Stays Away
BY RUFAT ABBASOV AND MINA MURADOVA
Azerbaijan’s Constitutional Court on December 1 confirmed the official results of the country’s November 6 parliamentary elections, with one key opposition leader seeing his election victory thrown out. The ruling prompted leaders of the main opposition alliance to announce that they would press its claim of a rigged vote in an international court.
December 1, 2005
Azerbaijan Election Results Confirmed, Opposition Leader Loses Seat
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
Azerbaijan’s Constitutional Court on December 1 confirmed the official results of the country’s November 6 parliamentary elections, with one key opposition leader seeing his election victory thrown out. The ruling prompted leaders of the main opposition alliance to announce that they would press its claim of a rigged vote in an international court.
December 1, 2005
Turkey and Iran Tread Softly with Azerbaijan Election Reaction
A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY ALMAN MIR ISMAIL
Azerbaijan’s Constitutional Court on December 1 confirmed the official results of the country’s November 6 parliamentary elections, with one key opposition leader seeing his election victory thrown out. The ruling prompted leaders of the main opposition alliance to announce that they would press its claim of a rigged vote in an international court.
November 28, 2005
Police Squash Election Sit-Down Protest
BY RUFAT ABBASOV AND MINA MURADOVA
Nearly a week after Azerbaijan’s November 6 parliamentary vote, reports have surfaced that the opposition and government are holding talks aimed at resolving the dispute over election results. Some opposition leaders, however, maintain that an opposition boycott of parliament will occur.
November 28, 2005
Azerbaijan: Election Results Finalized, But Tensions Simmer On
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission sent final results for the country’s November 6 parliamentary elections to the country’s Constitutional Court for validation, but several sources suggest that further changes to the tally could be in the offing.
November 17, 2005
Russia Backs Azerbaijani Leadership in Poll Controversy
BY SERGEI BLAGOV
Russia is aiming to improve its geopolitical position in the Caucasus through its unstinting support for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s administration amid Azerbaijan’s parliamentary election controversy.
November 16, 2005
Azerbaijani Opposition Faces Important Tactical Choices
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
Azerbaijan’s broad opposition movement is facing important tactical choices in the coming days, as it strives to reverse the results of what it maintains was a widely rigged parliamentary elections. Subtle divisions are emerging within the movement, with opposition leaders preferring moderate tactics while some rank-and-file activists are arguing for non-stop protest rallies.
November 12, 2005
Observers: Dip in Azerbaijani Voter Turnout Signals Apathy
BY JAHAN ALIYEVA
With less than half of all registered voters casting ballots, Azerbaijan’s November 6 parliamentary vote registered the lowest voter turnout in a decade. While the international community has praised reforms taken to ensure a free and fair election, some local observers suggest the dip in turnout points to a troubling trend: a feeling that Azerbaijanis do not have a stake in the vote.
November 12, 2005
Governor Sacked for Vote Tampering, but Protests Carry On
BY MINA MURADOVA AND RUFAT ABBASOV
President Ilham Aliyev has dismissed another regional government head over links to election fraud in the November 6 parliamentary vote. The dismissal occurred as opposition protesters continued to demand new elections.
November 11, 2005
Opposition-Government Negotiations: So Much for the Revolution?
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOVA
Nearly a week after Azerbaijan’s November 6 parliamentary vote, reports have surfaced that the opposition and government are holding talks aimed at resolving the dispute over election results. Some opposition leaders, however, maintain that an opposition boycott of parliament will occur.
November 11, 2005
Opposition in Azerbaijan Forges “Democratic Front” to Press Protest Strategy
BY MINA MURADOV RUFAT ABBASOV
Nearly a week after Azerbaijan’s November 6 parliamentary vote, reports have surfaced that the opposition and government are holding talks aimed at resolving the dispute over election results. Some opposition leaders, however, maintain that an opposition boycott of parliament will occur.
November 9, 2005
Opposition Stages Protest for Election Corrections
BY MINA MURADOVA AND RUFAT ABBASOV
With cries of “Freedom!” and “Free elections!,” hundreds of opposition protesters in orange headbands and scarves held a protest November 9 in Baku to demand the rejection of the November 6 parliamentary election results. Meanwhile, steps are apparently being taken by the government to address election irregularities. President Ilham Aliyev dismissed the governors of two regions today for their alleged role in fabricating election results.
November 8, 2005
Election Officials in Azerbaijan Invalidate Results in Three Election Districts
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYLOV
Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission on November 8 nullified parliamentary election results in three constituencies, and announced that three others remained under investigation. The announcement comes a day after opposition leaders and international monitors denounced the parliamentary vote as marred by widespread irregularities.
November 7, 2005
International Observers Find Fault with Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary Elections
BY MINA MURADOVA AND RUFAT ABBASOV
The preliminary findings of international observers tend to support opposition claims that Azerbaijan ’s parliamentary elections were marred by massive irregularities.
November 7, 2005
Vote Count: Exit Polls and Official Results Slightly Differ
BY KHADIJA ISMAYILOVA
Preliminary official results for Azerbaijan ’s parliamentary elections show a stunning loss for the country’s main opposition alliance, Azadlig, while the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party has retained its control of parliament, albeit by a smaller margin. Meanwhile, despite initial expectations by some observers, a US government-funded exit poll posted few discrepancies with official results.
November 7, 2005
Opposition: A Unified Struggle Ahead
By ROVSHAN ISMAYLOV
The opposition bloc Azadlig has announced plans to take its complaints to court, and has postponed a planned rally to protest the November 6 election results to a date authorized by the Baku city government.
November 6, 2005
Officials
in Azerbaijan Claim Fair Vote, While Opposition Cries
Foul
By KHADIJA ISMAYILOVA
Representatives of Azerbaijan’s governing Yeni Azerbaijan
Party insisted that the November 6 parliamentary elections
were free and fair. But opposition leaders denounced the
elections as fraudulent, citing thousands of examples
of misconduct. Opposition discontent would appear to set
the stage for mass protests once the vote totals are announced.
November 6, 2005
Opposition:
Vote Had “Transparent Falsifications”
BY MINA MURADOVA AND RUFAT ABBASOV
While Azerbaijan’s government has stated that the
country’s long-awaited November 6 parliamentary elections
were free and without disturbances, the country’s
largest opposition bloc has already announced their intention
to reject the election’s results.
November 6, 2005
Ganja
Voters Hope for Chance for “Real Elections”
BY JAHAN ALIYEVA
Election day got off to a bad start for Gasimova Saida,
after the 46-year-old resident of Ganja, Azerbaijan’s
second largest city, failed to find the names of her relatives
on voter lists in the city’s #38 constituency. “I
do not trust such a democracy any more,” Saida declared.
“They did it on purpose.”
November 6, 2005
A
Controversial Vote for the Disputed Territory of Nagorno
Karabakh
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
One of the least reported election races for the Azerbaijani
parliament – but one of the most controversial –
is occurring in #122 Khankendi constituency. To much of
the outside world, the name may mean nothing. But to Azerbaijanis,
the name “Khankendi” says one thing: Nagorno
Karabakh. Khandkendi is the Azeri name for Stepanakert,
the capital of the self-declared, ethnic Armenian Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, territory that Azerbaijan claims as
its own.
November 5, 2005
On
Eve of Elections, Opposition Campaign Managers Arrested
By RUFAT ABBASOV AND MINA MURADOVA
Police have arrested the campaign manager of a leading
opposition party, the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan,
during a raid on the party’s campaign headquarters
conducted just two days before Azerbaijan’s November
6 parliamentary elections. The campaign manager of a second
opposition party, the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan,
was detained briefly for questioning, then released.
November 5, 2005
Opinions
Still Divided Over Azerbaijani Exit Polls
By KHADIJA ISMAYILOVA
With less than a day before Azerbaijan’s parliamentary
elections, unanswered questions still exist regarding
the exit polls that were intended to serve as a check
on official vote results. Among the more problematic issues,
according to a Central Election Commission source: which
of three main polls to use for comparison with official
results.
November 5, 2005
Lankaran
Diary: Critical Candidates, Even More Critical Problems
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
With official estimates for Azerbaijan’s 2006 economic
growth rate at a whopping 30 percent, voters in the country’s
poverty-stricken southern regions, along the border with
Iran, are wondering how they will stand to benefit.
November 4, 2005
Azerbaijan's
Campaign Ends, Attention Now Focusing on Post-Election
Period
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
With campaigning having wrapped up for Azerbaijan's
parliamentary election on November 6, authorities and
opposition leaders are focusing on post-election plans.
November 4, 2005
In Baku and Regions, Candidates Struggle to Make Complaints Heard
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
With two days to go before election day, criticism of Azerbaijan's election campaign continues, with nearly 500 complaints submitted to the Central Election Commission from candidates who say their rights have been violated. Government representatives insist that election commissions will ensure a transparent vote. But a close look at three constituencies – one in Baku, two in the southern region of Lankaran – suggests that conditions for a fair vote are not ideal.
November 4, 2005
In Final Rally, Azerbaijan's Ruling Party Touts Status Quo
BY MINA MURADOVA AND RUFAT ABBASOV
Two days before the November 6 parliamentary elections, Azerbaijan's ruling party – Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP - New Azerbaijan) – closed its election campaign with a rally that urged voters to “Choose a new life with New Azerbaijan,” yet continue with the political status quo.
November 4, 2005
Turkey Encourages a Free-and-Fair Vote in Azerbaijan
By MEVLUT KATIK
As Azerbaijan 's closest ally, Turkey has exerted considerable energy to promote a trouble-free parliamentary election on November 6.
November 3, 2005
Azerbaijan's Largest Opposition Blocs Agree to Disagree
By
ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
Despite heated and protracted talks, Azerbaijan's two largest opposition electoral blocs have failed to agree on forming an electoral alliance for the November 6 parliamentary election. Though the two blocs, Yeni Siyaset (YeS) and Azadlig, have pledged to cooperate informally, observers have cast the news as a setback for the opposition's chances at the polls.
November 3, 2005
New MPs in Azerbaijan Will Face Budgetary Challenges
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
The winners of Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections on November 6 will immediately face a daunting challenge – managing the windfall generated by exports of the country's plentiful natural resources.
November 3, 2005
Youth Groups in Azerbaijan Encounter Difficulties During Run-up to Parliamentary Elections
By MINA MURADOVA AND RUFAT ABBASOV
News that representatives of the Ukrainian youth movement Pora (It's Time) are planning to arrive in Azerbaijan to monitor the November 6 parliamentary elections have put officials in Baku on guard.
November 3, 2005
Sumgayit: Rally in the Regions
By JAHAN ALIYEVA
With only two days of campaigning left to go, Azerbaijan's largest opposition bloc, Azadlig, has taken its message to the regions. In what one bloc leader described as a final rally before the November 6 vote, some 2,000 people gathered Thursday in the industrial town of Sumgayit, not far from Baku, to urge voters for a change of government.
November 2, 2005
Religion Emerges as an Issue for Some Parliamentary Candidates in Azerbaijan
By JAHAN ALIYEVA
Religion and the treatment of Azerbaijan’s Islamic
community are emerging as two controversial issues in
Azerbaijan’s parliamentary election campaign. Members
of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan are criticizing the
Central Election Commission for disqualifying them as
election candidates after they were improperly classified
as “religious figures.” Meanwhile, at least
on candidate representing the Azadlig opposition bloc
says that the charge of religious extremism is being unfairly
used for political reasons.
November 1, 2005
Recent Arrests Fuel Controversy, But Bets Are Off on Outcome
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
With just days remaining before Azerbaijan 's November 6 elections, the political situation in the country is clouded by controversy over the recent detention of several high-level officials, and a sudden wave of withdrawals of parliamentary candidates.
November 1, 2005
Azerbaijan's First Lady Makes a Run For Parliament
By FATAH ABDULLAYEV AND MINA MURADOVAF
One of the highest-profile candidates in Azerbaijan 's parliamentary election campaign is First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. Supporters say her bid for parliament could mark the start of a political career that emulates that of US Senator Hillary Clinton. Detractors, meanwhile, argue that Aliyeva's candidacy has more to do with political nepotism than her own political ambitions.
October 31, 2005
Azerbaijan's Parliamentary Election: When is an Independent Candidate Truly Independent?
By ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
When is an independent candidate truly independent? Lots of likely
voters in Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections on November 6 are struggling
to determine the answer to that question.
October 31, 2005
Georgia Pushes Friendship, Not Revolution with Azerbaijan
By JAHAN ALIYEVA
After US President George W. Bush this May described Georgia as a "beacon
of liberty" for neighboring countries, considerable speculation focused
on how President Mikheil Saakashvili would interpret this role. Azerbaijan,
which will hold parliamentary elections on November 6, appeared as one likely
test case. But Georgian analysts and political figures now say, that in the
case of Azerbaijan, the Saakashvili government prefers to keep Georgia's beacon
under wraps.
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