Azerbaijan is set to hold a snap parliamentary election on Sunday, marking the first such election since regaining full control of a former breakaway territory in a swift offensive last year. Previous elections in the country, post-independence from the Soviet Union, have been criticized for not being entirely free or fair. The upcoming vote for the Milli Mejlis parliament is not anticipated to bring about significant changes to the body, which is predominantly controlled by the New Azerbaijan party led by President Ilham Aliyev.
Originally scheduled for November as per the constitution, President Aliyev decided to advance the election by two months due to Baku hosting the United Nations climate talks, COP29, in the same month. The Aliyev family has been at the helm of Azerbaijan since 1993, employing authoritarian tactics to stifle dissent while the country, with a population of nearly 10 million, has enjoyed economic prosperity from its vast oil and natural gas reserves.
The New Azerbaijan party currently holds 69 out of the 125 parliamentary seats, with the remaining seats distributed among minor pro-government parties and independent candidates. The Musavat party, a prominent opposition group, nominated 34 candidates for the election, but only 25 were approved for registration. The Republican Alternative opposition party is fielding 12 candidates.
This election follows closely on the heels of Azerbaijani forces reclaiming control of the Karabakh region, previously held by ethnic Armenian forces supported by Armenia since 1994. The offensive led to the displacement of most of the region's 120,000 Armenian residents.
The national election commission has announced that 50 organizations will be overseeing the election process. The largest observer mission, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is expected to provide its initial evaluation of the election on Monday.
