Azerbaijan Gears Up for Presidential Elections Amid Familiar Faces

As Azerbaijan prepares for extraordinary presidential elections on February 7, 2023, the political landscape appears to be dominated by familiar figures, with the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev leading a list of six candidates. Despite the presence of multiple contenders, including seasoned politicians and party leaders, the absence of new faces raises questions about the country's political evolution and the challenges faced by emerging figures.

President Aliyev, seeking re-election, faces competition from deputy Zahid Oruj, chairman of the United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party; MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of the National Front Party; MP Razi Nurullayev; Chairman of the Great Azerbaijan Party Elshad Musayev; and former chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Fuad Aliyev.

Several of these candidates, including Oruj, Hasanguliyev, and Nurullayev, had contested the previous elections against President Aliyev. In the 2018 extraordinary presidential elections, Aliyev secured a significant mandate, receiving 86.02% of the votes, while his competitors, including Oruj and Hasanguliyev, garnered single-digit percentages.

Fuad Aliyev had previously run for president in 2008, securing less than 1% of the votes. Elshad Musayev, chairman of the Great Azerbaijan Party, faced setbacks in the 2020 parliamentary elections, attributing his failure to the alleged falsification of results.

Despite the array of candidates, the absence of fresh faces in the political arena raises questions about the country's political dynamics. Deputy Elman Nasirov from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party defended the legitimacy of the upcoming elections, emphasizing their democratic nature. Nasirov noted in an interview with Turan that the elections were open to candidates from any political party, pointing out that Musavat Party Chairman Arif Hajili and Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) Chairman Ali Karimli could also participate.

However, both the PFPA and the Musavat Party announced their decision to boycott the elections, citing concerns over the lack of opportunities for free and fair elections and an increase in political arrests. This refusal reflects a broader skepticism among opposition parties about the electoral process.

Political commentator Zardush Alizadeh highlighted the entrenched opposition dynamics in Azerbaijan,  in an interview with Azadlig Radio, noting that some individuals continuously operate within the opposition, either within or outside the parliament. He observed that some candidates participate in elections with the expectation of securing a small percentage of votes.

Alizadeh attributed the absence of new political figures to Azerbaijan's current stage of building a market economy, with societal dynamics influenced by tribal-family relations. He pointed out that parties without access to financial resources and lacking a solid public base face challenges in a political environment dominated by established entities.