Azerbaijani Parliament has requested early parliamentary elections from the president
Early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan
Today, the Azerbaijani Parliament approved an appeal to the President for the dissolution of Parliament and the scheduling of early parliamentary elections. The appeal, read by deputy Tahir Rzayev, was voted on and passed with 105 votes in favor and one against.
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The initiative to address the country’s president regarding early parliamentary elections was put forward on June 20 at a regular board meeting of the ruling party “Yeni Azerbaijan” (New Azerbaijan).
According to the constitution of Azerbaijan, regular elections for the Milli Majlis are scheduled for November 2024, coinciding with the 29th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and other prestigious international events in Baku. Deputy chairman of the party Tahir Budagov emphasized the importance of organizing both elections and these mentioned events at a high level. He also highlighted the practicality of ensuring the full functioning of the country’s parliament during this period. In the current circumstances, he argued that the Milli Majlis should demonstrate initiative by self-dissolving and conducting elections earlier, prioritizing the interests of the state.
When were the regular parliamentary elections supposed to take place?
The last parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan were held on February 9, 2020, also ahead of schedule.
According to Article 84 of the constitution, elections for the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan are held every term once in five years on the first Sunday of November.
Article 98-1 states that the term of office of the Milli Majlis elected in early elections may be less than five years. In this case, regular elections for the Milli Majlis are held on the first Sunday of November of the fifth year of the term of office of the prematurely elected Milli Majlis.
Therefore, the fifth year of the current VI convocation of the parliament began on February 10, 2024, and according to the constitution, regular parliamentary elections in the country were scheduled for the first Sunday of the eleventh month, i.e., November 3, 2024.
The initiative for early elections did not come as a surprise to politicians
Discussions on this matter had been quietly ongoing in political circles for some time, and preparations for the electoral process had already begun in some parties.
Immediately after parliament addressed the president, Ilgar Mamedov, chairman of the Republican Alternative Party (ReAl), currently represented by one deputy in parliament, announced that the party’s list of candidates would be finalized at a meeting on June 23:
“We will make final decisions regarding each candidate who has applied to our electoral headquarters. Next week, we will consider forming a coalition involving individuals who are not members of our party. If politically necessary, we may establish an electoral alliance with prominent public and political figures. We will reach a final decision on this matter by the end of next week,” he stated.
Natiq Jafarli, one of the leaders of ReAl, stated that the ruling party’s decision did not come as a surprise. He mentioned that the party had already established an electoral headquarters at the end of last year, anticipating these events.
“The management of electoral activities has been entrusted to Rasul Jafarov, a member of the Political Committee and a well-known lawyer. So far, the headquarters has been working very effectively, organizing dozens of events to prepare for the elections.”
Jafarli also reminded about his party’s initiative for a referendum on constitutional changes before holding any elections in the country. According to their view, a significant portion of votes is lost under the majoritarian electoral system:
“Unfortunately, they have decided to proceed with elections under the old rules and the majoritarian system. We have argued many times in our public statements that a large portion of citizens’ votes are wasted under the majoritarian system. If elections are not two-stage, if deputies are elected by simple majority, then a large part of citizens’ votes are not counted. Not to mention the falsification of results and other problems.
I believe that these elections, likely to be held in early September, will be ‘interim,’ and the parliament formed will not last the full five years. Because it is impossible to solve the country’s problems without a referendum, without changing the rules of the game, without improving governance.”
According to the ReAl official, Azerbaijan will hold a referendum in 2025 or 2026 to amend the constitution and conduct new elections.
However, Natiq Jafarli emphasized that “ReAl” and he himself would actively participate in these elections.
“These elections are crucial for determining the direction and path of the country. As a people, we must send a very strong signal to the authorities about the desire for change, so that they are compelled to move forward and implement reforms,” he said.
“They are planning to steal the upcoming parliamentary elections from the people”
The “Yeni Azerbaijan” party shows disrespect to the voters, proposing for the second time in a row the early dissolution of parliament, believes one of the officials of the “Musavat” party, Mustafa Hajibeyli:
“If the previous elections were not falsified, if the majority voted for you, why not carry the responsibility entrusted to you until the end?! This argument alone is enough for everyone to vote against the ruling party and candidates supported by the government in the early elections.”
The party itself has not yet decided whether it will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections or not.
The authorities intend to hold parliamentary elections in non-competitive conditions and during the summer season, when political activity is particularly weak, believes the chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), Ali Kerimli:
“Unfortunately, everything happened as we expected. The regime will hold early parliamentary elections in a non-competitive environment, scheduled for mid-summer – in August. The ‘Yeni Azerbaijan’ party has already officially appealed to Ilham Aliyev. Most likely, early parliamentary elections will be announced tomorrow.
COP29 events will begin on November 11th. Nothing would have prevented the authorities from holding elections on November 3rd in accordance with the constitution.
Clearly, COP29 is just a pretext. Preparation is underway to steal yet another parliamentary election from the people.”
