Azerbaijan's Anti-Aliyev Tandem

Two months to go before a parliamentary vote, Azerbaijan’s two main opposition parties have ganged up against the oil-rich country’s big boss, President Ilham Aliyev.

Although local commentator assessment of the move has been dismissive, Musavat and the Popular Front of Azerbaijan say they are serious about their plans to knock Aliyev off his allegedly authoritarian pedestal. The Musvat-Popular Front tandem plans to nominate 90 candidates for the 125-seat national assembly in the November 7 election. Some smaller opposition groups have already formed other election alliances.

Critics charge that Azerbaijan’s parliament serves as little more than a rudimentary appendage to Aliyev, who was all but anointed as president by his father, Heydar Aliyev. It is the combination of the Aliyev family's tight control of Azerbaijan and the long record of parochial tensions within the opposition that made political wonks yawn at the news of the Musavat-Popular Front alliance, but some are willing to give the new bloc the benefit of the doubt.