AZERBAIJAN: Voters prepare to cast ballots in poll expected to return current president, Ilham Aliyev, for a second term

Record ID: 218024

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Voters prepare to cast ballots in poll expected to return current president, Ilham Aliyev, for a second term
  • Date: 14th October 2008
  • Summary: (W2) SHEKI, AZERBAIJAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV AND HIS WIFE MEKHRIBAN WALKING AWAY FROM CAR, WAVING HANDS PEOPLE APPLAUDING VIEW OF NEW MEDICAL CENTRE IN SHEKI ILHAM ALIYEV THROWING A PIECE OF WOOD DOWN IN A SYMBOLIC GESTURE POSTERS SHOWING EXTERIOR OF MEDICAL CENTRE ILHAM ALIYEV POURING CEMENT INTO CONSTRUCTION PIT PEOPLE APPLAUDING
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADG3TK02AG9KCVJ9F3QMIQ8657
  • Story Text: Azerbaijan will hold presidential elections on Wednesday (October 15) almost certain to return current president, Ilham Aliyev, for a second term.
    Some 4.3 million eligible voters have a choice of seven candidates, but few have doubts about the outcome.
    Aliyev, who violently crushed opposition protests during the last presidential poll in October 2003, has been focusing his attention less on campaigning in the lead up to the vote and has instead travelled throughout the country on working visits, opening hospitals, Olympic sports centres and museums dedicated to his late father, former Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev. His tours have been aired almost daily on the country's leading television channels.
    Polls show that Aliyev, who was nominated by his ruling "New Azerbaijan" party, is favoured by 80 percent of voters.
    "Current President Ilham Aliyev has a very big chance (to become the next president), very high rating among the population. The other candidates for the presidential position do not have such chances and the public sees clearly this difference between Ilham Aliyev and other candidates," said Ali Ahmadov, Deputy Chairman of the "New Azerbaijan" party.
    But Azerbaijan's ruling party said the oppositions' accusations of persecution were false.
    His advisers point to record economic growth on the back of soaring oil prices. The country was one of the fastest-growing in the world last year, with the gross domestic product (GDP) climbing 25 percent.
    Other presidential candidates running in the October 15 elections are little known to the public -- with the exception of one -- Iqbal Agazade, the leader of the opposition "Hope Party".
    He was one of the leaders of opposition protests in 2003 which led him to spend 17 months in prison.
    "Why shouldn't I expect to win in these elections if there is a vast number of people who are against this power, so I have high hopes that I can win," said Agazade in his tiny office on the outskirts of Baku.
    But the most optimistic opinion polls give Agazade no more than 2.6 percent support.
    The most influential opposition parties have decided to boycott the elections.
    The Musavat party, the oldest political party in Azerbaijan, existing since 1911, pulled out of the race calling it a mere spectacle. Their leader, Isa Gambar, says that the vote is almost certain to hand Aliyev another five-year term, extending his family's hold on power in the ex-Soviet republic.
    "It is not elections, it is a tragic comedy. Tragic because the Aliyev regime deprives Azerbaijani people from the right to elect the power and the president. And it is a comedy because the authorities are imitating the election process and some observers are playing on their side in this, pretending that something like real elections are taking place. We do not want to take part in this tragic comedy," said Gambar, who was also a leader in the street protests of 2003 and spent months in prison afterwards.
    Though the outcome of the October 15 poll seems obvious to many Azeris, there is still the question of how many voters will turn up to cast their ballots.
    "If we talk about the turnout I don't think it can be over 20 to 25 percent because there is no and there was not interest in the elections.
    People do not discuss the elections and the authorities themselves didn't try hard to attract the attention of the population to the elections,"
    explained Arastun Orujlu, a political analyst and head of the East-West Research centre.
    But many on the streets of the capital Baku say they will definitely cast their vote.
    "I will vote. I want to vote for the person who is, how should I say? Our country is in his hands that's why I will go and vote," said Sabina, a housewife from Baku.
    "I will vote, the future of Azerbaijan depends on it, that's why I will take part," said Emil, a manager.
    "I will support our current president, I will give my vote to him, I hope his plans will be fulfilled," said Alio, a stomatologist from Baku.
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