Azerbaijan's President Aliyev announces early parliamentary elections
Azerbaijan's authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev has announced advanced parliamentary elections for September. Last Friday, Aliyev issued a decree for the dissolution of the Milli Majlis, the Parliament of the Caucasus state, setting the new elections "for September 1, 2024." It is generally expected that these elections will secure Aliyev's power hold. Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since his father and predecessor Heydar Aliyev's death in 2003 with an iron fist.
The parliamentarians had urged Aliyev the previous week to dissolve the Milli Majlis two months earlier than planned and call for elections. This was to prevent the elections from being held simultaneously with the UN Climate Conference in Baku (COP29). The COP29 will take place from November 11 to 22 under Azerbaijan's presidency.
Aliyev's announcement of advanced parliamentary elections for September in Azerbaijan is expected to further strengthen his power hold as President. The Milli Majlis, the Parliament of Azerbaijan, was dissolved by Aliyev in accordance with the decree he issued last Friday, setting the elections for September 1, 2024. Despite the parliamentarians' request to move the elections forward to avoid clashing with the UN Climate Conference in Baku (COP29), Aliyev chose to maintain the original schedule.
