AZERBAIJAN: Ruling party is winner in the country's parliamentary elections

Record ID: 218444

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Ruling party is winner in the country's parliamentary elections
  • Date: 7th November 2005
  • Summary: JOURNALIST FILING ELECTION RESULTS COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING CANDIDATES AND RESULTS JOURNALISTS SITTING BEHIND COMPUTERS
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3L0L8G56EYDLDMIE32PGBQR31
  • Story Text: President Ilham Aliyev's supporters had an unassailable lead in Azerbaijan's parliamentary election on Monday (November 7, 2005), with Western observers also set to give a verdict on the vote which, if damning, could fuel opposition protests.
    The Central Election Commission said that with just over 85 percent of votes counted, the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party had won 62 seats in the 125-seat parliament, while the main Azadlyq opposition bloc had five seats.
    "Based on the information we have so far our preliminary results show the ruling party is leading and the independent candidates are in the second place," said Igbal Babayev, a spokesman for the Central Election Commission.
    The bloc has accused the ruling party of widespread fraud and said starting from Tuesday it would stage peaceful rallies to protest the result. But some feared violent clashes with police who have said they will not allow any disorder.
    The Azadlyq bloc's leaders failed to win their own constituency races. Independents and minor parties -- many of them loyal to the government -- took the rest of the seats, according to the official figures.
    Ex-Soviet Azerbaijan is an emerging oil producer in a South Caucasus region crisscrossed with smouldering separatist conflicts. Oil-hungry Western governments say they are anxious to see stable, democratic rule.
    Azeri media on Monday appeared to offer their support for the way the parliamentary polls had ben conducted. On the streets of Baku, most people voiced approval of Sunday's ballot and hoped the new parliament would be able to help improve economic conditions in Azerbaijan.
    "In the previous parliament we could not see anything new. People could not tell if our deputies were working for us. I think the new parliament will be better and they will work to benefit the people," said Ziad Mamedov, a Baku resident.
    Another Baku resident said the elections had been "perfect".
    "All is perfect. We never had elections like these before. Everything is good," said Elchin.
    A repeat of the revolutions that followed disputed votes in fellow ex-Soviet republics Georgia and Ukraine was unlikely because Azerbaijan's opposition does not have the same wide popular support, analysts said.
    A 600-strong Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe observer mission monitoring for election fraud was to give an assessment on the vote at 4 p.m. (1200) GMT.
    The ruling party claimed victory soon after polling stations closed on Sunday, saying it had regained its majority in the Milli Majlis, or parliament.
    Yeni Azerbaijan's haul of 62 seats was down by about a dozen on the last election, but analysts said the balance of power in parliament would change little because most of the gains had been made by smaller pro-government parties.
    Aliyev, who succeeded his father as head of state two years ago, runs a country of 8 million Muslims wedged between Russia and Iran. Corruption is endemic and the country has yet to hold an election judged free and fair by the West.
    Western officials say Aliyev is attempting to gradually reform his administration and the election had shown signs it might be an improvement on previous votes.
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