Azerbaijan president’s party retains dominance in parliament election

The party of Azerbaijan’s strongman president retained dominance in parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results announced Monday. An international observer mission said the vote did not offer voters genuine political alternatives,

In the Sunday vote for the 125-seat Milli Majlis, the New Azerbaijan party of President Ilham Aliyev won 68 seats. 45 went to independents and the remainder were won by candidates from small parties, that are mostly pro-Aliyev.

“These elections took place in a restrictive political and legal environment, the consequence of which was a lack of political pluralism coupled with the subdued and low-key campaign, all of which undermined the electoral process,” said Michael Creed, a leader of the observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The National Elections Commission reported a low voter turnout, just 37% of the electorate.

“In these elections, the lack of genuine choice and engagement that led to pervasive political apathy among the population was quite evident,” said Lucie Potuckova, head of the OSCE parliamentary assembly’s delegation.

Aliyev and his later father Heydar have led Azerbaijan since 1993, suppressing opposition and restricting independent news media.

The election was the first nationwide vote for parliament since Azerbaijan regained full control of its territory in a lightning offensive that drove separatists out of the Karabakh region in 2023.