Polls have opened in Azerbaijan for a snap parliamentary election, with more than 6.4 million registered voters participating. This election marks the first time voting is being held in Nagorno-Karabakh in 30 years, following Azerbaijan regaining control of the region in a military offensive against ethnic Armenian forces. President Ilham Aliyev’s party, the New Azerbaijan Party, is expected to maintain its dominance in the National Assembly.
Critics accuse Aliyev of ruling with an iron fist, stifling dissent in the country while overseeing economic growth fueled by oil and gas exports. The election, which was moved up due to Azerbaijan hosting COP29, is not expected to bring drastic changes to the parliamentary composition, with most seats held by the ruling party.
Opposition parties such as the Musavat Party and Republican Alternative have put forth candidates, despite facing challenges with registration. The election is being monitored by 50 observer organizations, with the largest contingent from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe scheduled to release a preliminary assessment on Monday.
The election comes almost a year after Azerbaijan reclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh from ethnic Armenian forces, forcing out its self-declared government and displacing many Armenian residents. Despite previous elections being criticized for lacking fairness, this election will test the democratic processes in the country as voters head to the polls.
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