Will There Be Competition in Azerbaijan’s Snap Parliamentary Elections?

On August 2, Azerbaijan concluded the submission process for the necessary electoral documents to the district election commission (DEC) for candidate registration in the snap parliamentary elections set for September 1. According to the law, these applications must be reviewed within seven days, and the pre-election campaign phase is scheduled to begin on August 9, allowing candidate registration to continue until August 8.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman, Mazahir Panahov, announced on August 5 that 950 candidates have been registered for the snap elections to the Milli Majlis. A total of 1,508 individuals applied, and 1,462 were nominated. Out of these, 1,420 received signature sheets, 1,197 returned them, and 950 candidates were officially registered. Furthermore, 18,467 local observers have been accredited to monitor the elections.

Despite the numbers, the question remains: will there be genuine competition in these elections? Hafiz Hasanov, the chairman of the public association "Law and Development," addressed this and other issues on the program "Complex Questions."

Hasanov argues that there is a noticeable lack of pre-election activity in the country. With 1,508 nominations and only 950 registrations across 125 electoral districts, the figures do not suggest intense competition. This implies that the pre-election campaign is likely to be lackluster.

He further noted that the pre-election period has been marked by the arrests of public activists and media representatives. Contrary to expectations, there have been no amendments to the electoral law, no improvements in the timing and organization of the electoral process, and the composition of electoral commissions at all levels remains unchanged. According to Hasanov, these factors inevitably lead to an election characterized by stagnation.

Hasanov highlights that while past elections have seen widespread legal violations during candidate nominations and registrations, this year, the CEC has been more subtle in its approach. Undesirable candidates were simply not issued registration notifications. He also emphasized that after the nomination process, during voter signature collection and registration, several candidates who could potentially challenge the reserved seats in the Milli Majlis faced pressure.

The goal appears to have been to register as few candidates as possible, particularly those deemed undesirable. "For this reason, unlike previous years, candidates faced fewer obstacles during signature collection. There was no longer a need for such barriers," Hasanov explained.

The current electoral environment raises questions about the true level of competition and democratic processes in Azerbaijan's upcoming elections. The lack of reform and continued pressure on candidates suggest that the elections may be more about maintaining the status quo than offering a genuine choice to voters. As the election date approaches, all eyes will be on how the campaign unfolds and whether any unexpected developments will challenge the predicted outcomes.