Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s party observed Monday a success in parliamentary polls. But the opposition guaranteed the political race was “completely falsified”. Confronted with open discontent over an easing back economy, Aliyev, 58, would have liked to support the government’s picture by holding early elections and supplanting disparaged old elites with more young technocrats.
Tallying indicated the Yeni (New) Azerbaijan party with 65 seats in the parliament of 12
5 total members, after 87 percent of electoral regions pronounced results in the first-past-the-post ballot, said election commission’s chief Mazahir Panahov.
The only politician from opposition who made it to the new lawmaking body was Erkin Gadirly of Republican Alternative Party (ReAl). On Sunday night, Vice Prime Minister and Yeni Azerbaijan official secretary Ali Ahmedov congratulated his party on “one more incredible triumph”.
“We are appreciative to the individuals who have casted a ballot in the support of our leader’s policies,” Ahmedov told journalists.
“The elections were completely distorted,” Arif Gadjily of the opposing Musavat party told AFP after the polls shut, upbraiding what he asserted was boundless voting form stuffing and multiple voting.
More than 5.3 million individuals were eligible to cast a ballot, and turnout remained at 47.8 percent, as per election officials.