Russia, Turkey Quick to Congratulate Ilham Aliyev Over Controversial Election Win

The leaders of some of Azerbaijan's closest strategic allies have offered congratulations to Ilham Aliyev, who has been declared the winner of Azerbaijan's hotly disputed presidential election. International observers say the vote "fell short of international standards."

Ilham Aliyev, who according to Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission received 79.5 percent of the vote, appears set to take over the presidency from his ailing father, Heidar Aliyev. [For additional information see related EurasiaNet story]. Among the countries to quickly recognize the voting results were Russia and Turkey, key neighboring powers. In a congratulatory telephone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope that Aliyev's election would boost bilateral relations.

"Your convincing victory in the elections has shown that the people of Azerbaijan supports the well-balanced program you have proposed for the country's development and its foreign political course," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Putin as telling the Azerbaijani president-elect.

"There are favorable conditions for the further strengthening of the traditional partnership between the two countries [Azerbaijan and Russia]," Putin continued. "All this meets the interests of our peoples and is an important factor to ensure security and the development of the Caucasian region."

Some observers in Moscow believe Azerbaijani leaders have received assurances that the Kremlin will provide political support for Ilham during the election-aftermath. In return, Baku will explore steps to strengthen bilateral relations. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also telephoned Aliyev on October 16, offering congratulations and reaffirming the desire to strengthen the special strategic and economic relationship between Ankara and Baku, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The United States, which called for free and fair elections and urged Azerbaijanis to refrain from violence, made notably mild comments about the reports of police using lethal force. On October 16 US State Department deputy spokesman J. Adam Ereli said : "We are also concerned by reports of violent clashes after the election, and we urge all parties to
exercise maximum restraint."

A joint statement issued October 16 by the International Election Observer Mission in Baku characterized Azerbaijan's presidential poll as "generally well administered," but went on to note "a number of irregularities in the counting and tabulation."

Peter Eicher, head of the observer mission for OSCE's Office for Human Rights and Democratic Institutions, lamented that "this election has been a missed opportunity for a genuinely democratic election process."

"We were particularly troubled by the level of intimidation and unequal conditions for candidates during the campaign," Eicher said. "Future progress towards democratic elections will depend first and foremost on the political will of the authorities."