Azerbaijani opposition leader goes on hunger strike to protest election fraud
Elman Guliyev, a member of the opposition Musavat party, went on a hunger strike on February 27. He demands they repeal the results of the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.
The off-year parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan were held on February 9. Once again, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party won. Most independent local observers and international organizations say that the elections violated many laws and were not democratic. Independent candidates and opposition parties have already held several protests, demanding they repeal the election results, but the protests were all broken up by the police.
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Elman Guliyev, head of the youth organization of the Musavat party, also ran for deputy. From his district, a candidate from the ruling party, Sabina Khasieva, was elected.
The opposition leader is holding his hunger strike at Musavat headquarters.
“I had no other choice but resorting to a hunger strike to get the election results repealed. Our complaints were investigated formally, our peaceful protests were dispersed by the police. We, the candidates for deputies, were illegally detained. The election commission, having not fully investigated all the complaints, sent them to the Constitutional Court for approval. The hunger strike is a last desperate attempt to protest against fraud,” reported the Caucasian Knot, citing Guliyev.
Guliyev says that on the first day, more than 200 people came to support him.
Musavat members have on previous occasions declared hunger strikes as a sign of protest against certain actions of the authorities, but, as a rule, they stopped after a while due to poor health.
