Azerbaijan - February 2024

Snap presidential elections returned the usual results of a landslide win for President Ilham Aliyev on 7 February. The campaign was marked by a lack of voter engagement, even by Azerbaijani standards, documented ballot stuffing and other election-day irregularities, and token opposition candidates that publicly encouraged voters to choose Aliyev. President Aliyev did not himself campaign or take part in televised debates, and real opposition parties boycotted as usual but, in a novel development, were either unwilling or unable to mobilize public rallies or shows of discontent, as had typically been the case in previous elections.

Sources: OSCE, OC Media, Eurasianet

Azerbaijan held snap presidential elections on 7 February in which President Ilham Aliyev was elected to a fifth term in office. Aliyev, who took office in 2003, received 92.12 per cent of the vote with 76 per cent voter turnout, although neither number could be independently verified. No women were among the registered candidates. The European Parliament declined to observe or comment on the elections. The OSCE election observation mission said the election “took place in a restrictive environment, and while preparations were efficiently managed, it was marked by the stifling of critical voices and the absence of political alternatives.”

Sources: OC Media, Turan News Agency, David McAllister MEP