37 Percent Voter Turnout Sparks Renewed Debate Over Parliamentary Legitimacy in Azerbaijan

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan announced that voter turnout in the snap parliamentary elections held on September 1 was 37%. However, some observers claim that the actual voter turnout was around 10-15%. In the previous parliamentary elections, this figure was approximately 10% higher.

In the early 2000s, the quorum requirement for parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan was abolished. At that time, this issue sparked extensive discussions and even raised certain debates about the legitimacy of the parliament. Since then, it has been generally observed that voter turnout in parliamentary elections is reported lower compared to presidential elections in the country. However, until now, the official turnout figure has never been this low.

Now, some analysts are once again raising the issue of legitimacy. They believe that under such circumstances, the parliament's influence on political and social issues also diminishes.

However, Elman Nasirov, a representative of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), which secured more than half of the seats in parliament according to the CEC's preliminary list, told Turan that the choice was made by the people, and they elected those who primarily served the interests of the people and the state: "In this situation, experienced and professional individuals across all sectors—foreign policy, economy, social and cultural fields—are leading in their constituencies according to the announced election results."

In Nasirov's view, a close examination of these individuals' activities quickly reveals that the parliament includes people with both theoretical and practical knowledge in economic fields related to foreign policy, as well as individuals with extensive knowledge and skills in cultural areas: "It can already be said that the 7th convocation of the parliament will be a gathering of sufficiently knowledgeable, educated, experienced, and patriotic individuals. In any case, there is one truth: the people's judgment is the ultimate measure. They are the ones who elect, and their choice must be respected."

Mustafa Hacibeyli, deputy chairman of the opposition Musavat Party, which participated in these elections with more than 20 candidates but, according to preliminary official information, did not achieve leadership in any constituency, told Radio Liberty that, according to his observations, voter turnout in some constituencies was even below 10%: "The main reason for this is the public's lack of confidence in the elections. Since elections have been repeatedly falsified, the public does not trust the process and does not participate. Of the 10% who did vote, approximately half were convinced by us to come out, while the other half were people mobilized by the government's administrative resources."

Hacibeyli noted that the pre-election environment was poor: "There were no debates, no polls were conducted during the election. Due to the lack of a democratic atmosphere before the election and even ongoing political arrests during the election period, the climate of fear persisted in the country, and it is natural that the public was not active in such an environment."

He believes that, for these reasons, the elections cannot be considered legitimate: "The Musavat Party demands the re-holding of the elections, the creation of a democratic atmosphere in the country, and the release of political prisoners."

Hacibeyli emphasized that, according to legislation, the powers of the parliament in Azerbaijan have been minimized. However, in his view, if the parliament included truly independent deputies who represent the people and the state interests of Azerbaijan, and were not elected through fraudulent means, then the parliament's influence on the country's political course would increase.

Political commentator Shain Jafarli also believes that if election fraud occurred, it means the usurpation of power, which is, according to the Constitution, the gravest crime against the people: "We often hear opinions that question why the public does not protest or why they accept the situation. I disagree with these views. By not participating in the elections, the Azerbaijani people are actually expressing their protest. As long as the safest possible form of protest is to 'ignore' the spectacle called elections and abstain from the process, the people are opting for this path, namely passive boycott."

According to the expert, they were forced to report a 37% participation rate in the election: "In reality, overall participation across the country did not even reach 7%. This clearly creates a legitimacy problem."

He believes that the people have lost faith in the possibility of fair elections and that their will would be respected: "The events on election day also refute the claims that the government's popularity has risen following the liberation of occupied territories. Those who orchestrated this spectacle themselves provide strong grounds for such conclusions."

The preliminary report of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, released on September 2, emphasized that the existing conditions did not allow for the elections to be conducted in accordance with democratic standards.