Azerbaijan Holds Parliamentary Elections

Azerbaijan is holding early parliamentary elections on September 1, with over 6.4 million registered voters heading to the polls.

This is the first such election since President Ilham Aliyev dissolved the parliament in June. The vote is for all 125 seats in the Milli Mejlis (National Assembly), and the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by Aliyev, is expected to retain its majority.

A total of 990 candidates are running, with 305 nominated by political parties. The election has attracted significant international scrutiny, with 598 international observers and over 112,000 local observers monitoring the process.

Early reports indicated potential irregularities, with allegations of vote tampering emerging shortly after polls opened. Despite these concerns, the Central Election Commission has not yet commented on the claims. The opposition remains largely sidelined, with many of its candidates either not registered or boycotting the election, citing unfair conditions.

The results of the election are expected to reinforce the dominance of Aliyev’s party in Azerbaijan’s political landscape.