Life is restored in the liberated territories, but what about the elections?

The resettlement of displaced persons in Azerbaijan to newly built settlements in the liberated territories commenced last year. The process is currently underway, with displaced individuals being resettled in small groups. Officials emphasize that the resettlement efforts will intensify in the coming years.

In 2025, Azerbaijan is scheduled to hold parliamentary and presidential elections, and some analysts speculate the possibility of early elections, given the country's previous experience with holding early elections in 2018 and 2020.

Regarding the establishment of election commissions in the liberated regions, the government's plans and intentions have not been officially disclosed.However, Elman Nasirov, a member of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party, noted in an interview with Radio Azadlig  that the government's priorities include the restoration and reconstruction of the liberated territories and strengthening the military in response to the potential for revanchism in Armenia.

The government aims to restore 100 settlements, with historical returns already occurring in certain areas, such as Agali villages in the Zangilan region and Talish villages in the Tartar region. Plans to settle 700 families in Lachin district are in progress, with allocated budgets for restoration and reconstruction efforts.

Elman Nasirov believes that creating election commissions in the newly resettled areas will not be a complicated task, as similar processes have been implemented in other regions where Azerbaijani citizens reside. He is confident that this will not negatively impact the upcoming electoral processes.

Anar Mammadli, the head of the election monitoring and Democracy Education Center (SMDT), emphasizes the importance of focusing on municipal elections before the parliamentary and presidential elections in December 2024. The holding of municipal elections in the liberated territories is crucial, but there have been no concrete steps taken in this direction.

Mammadli suggests that clarifying the process of land distribution and municipal lands in the liberated territories should be a priority, which will lay the groundwork for the formation of a municipal institution. He believes that addressing these issues will facilitate the functioning of municipalities in the regions starting from 2025.

While the presidential election in 2025 is not seen as a major challenge, the issue of parliamentary elections, held in circles, remains unclear. Mammadli urges the government to clarify its plans in this regard within the next two years. As life is revitalized in the populated areas, Election Commissions will need to be formed to ensure electoral representation in those regions.