Whom does the president count on in his new administration?

Baku / 29.11.19 / Turan: A change in the structure of the presidential administration entailed a functional and personnel update of the apparatus of the head of state. Innovations affected almost all control units - power, economic, ideological.

Noteworthy is the division of the department that oversees the work of law enforcement agencies and the military sphere. So, the department to work with law enforcement agencies was re-established, still under the leadership of Fuad Aleskerov, in the status of assistant to the president. 

The military affairs department has also been re-established. Maharram Aliyev, who was removed from the administration a year ago and was appointed deputy minister of justice, was again appointed its leader. At the same time, now Maharram Aliyev will simultaneously hold the position of assistant to the president. Moreover, the assignment to him of the military rank of Colonel General indicates an increase in his status in general in the defense and security sector. Previously, the rank of colonel general was assigned only to the first persons of the law enforcement agencies.

In the economic sector, Natig Amirov retained his status. He remains an assistant to the president - head of the department of economic policy and industrial issues.

The new person in the administration is Shahmar Movsumov, who previously held the position of Executive Director of the Oil Fund. He was appointed Assistant to the President - Head of the Department of Economic Affairs and Innovative Development. Based on Movsumov’s previous work experience and the new supervision, it must be assumed that he will be more concerned with defining an investment policy strategy and introducing innovations in the ICT economy and social sphere, e-government issues. Amirov’s department will focus on current economic issues, overseeing the forecasting of the country's income and expenses. The most dramatic changes have taken place in the ideological sector.

The president dismissed Ali Hasanov from the post of assistant to the head of state - the head of the socio-political department. Over the many years of leadership, Hasanov turned this department into a “superdivision”, which established total control over the areas of activity of political parties, public associations and the media, as well as over the financial flows allocated by the state to these areas.  Instead of the unit managed by Hasanov, a new department has emerged - for relations with political parties and the legislative branch.  

The appointment of Adalat Veliyev as the head of this department was a complete surprise, since he is better known as a person from the field of culture. In the past, he worked in the theatrical sphere, directed the Russian Drama Theater.

Since 1993, Veliyev was Deputy Minister of Culture. However, in 2018, when creating the new structure of the ministry, it was not reassigned. For this reason, all the more unexpected was his promotion to the post of head of department in the presidential administration. Perhaps the arrival of Veliyev will mark new progressive approaches to relations with parties and public associations instead of the previous one.

Anar Alekperov, who for many years was a member of the team of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, also became a new face in the president’s entourage. Not securing officially clear supervision for him gives reason to believe that Alekperov will be an assistant on general issues not publicly in the role of first assistant.

Kerem Hasanov became the head of the department of state control, who lost his post as head of the state committee on property issues after the transfer of this department to the structure of the Ministry of Economy.

Zeynal Nagdaliyev (assistant to the president - head of the territorial-organizational department), Hikmet Hajiyev (head of the department for foreign policy), Suleiman Ismayilov (head of the department for working with citizens), Farah Aliyeva (head of the department for humanitarian policy with retention supervision of the department is also related to the diaspora, issues of multiculturalism and religion).

The strategic planning and research department, which was headed by Saadat Yusifova, was abolished in the new structure. The department was created 4 years ago instead of the information support department, which was led by Elnur Aslanov.

There is not a  new unit for relations with the media and public associations in the structure. Functionally, these areas can be dealt with by the press service of the president, and departments specialized in areas of public organizations. –06D--