(ŞİMALİ) AZƏRBAYCAN
Officially: Azərbaycan Respublikası.
English: (Northern) Azerbaijan.
Seat of government: Bakı.
Status: Not democratic.
Structure: Government of personal loyalty and patronage networks centered on the current president and his father.
Governing party: Yeni Azərbaycan.
Head of government: İlham Əliyev, president (since 2003).
Opposition parties: Mόsavat Partiyası, led by İsa Qəmbər; Vətəndaş Həmrəyliyi Partiyası; Ana Vətən Partiyası.
Recent history: Long-tenured ruler Heydər Əliyev (1969-82, 1993-2003) maintained personal control, and prepared for the royalist succession of his son İlham. The ill Heydər withdrew from the 2003 presidential election, leaving İlham as the state-favored candidate, who predictably was declared the winner and succeeded to the office. Yeni Azərbaycan has claimed victory in parliamentary elections (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010), but these, too, could not have been fair. The 2008 presidential election was held without the main opposition, who correctly asserted an insurmountable bias. The 2013 presidential election ended in an official 85% tally for Əliyev, amid credible charges of fraud. In 2018, Əliyev claimed to have been reelected with 86%.
FH: 6-5, not free. Econ: 3.19 (135), authoritarian.
Updated: 2018 April 22.
O.T. FORD