Azerbaijan voted with all its heart

Ilham Aliyev's victory pleased even his competitors

Yesterday the president was re-elected in Azerbaijan. The winner was 46-year-old Ilham Aliyev . According to the first exit polls, 80-82% of voters voted for him. Now he will be able to remain in the presidential chair inherited from his father Heydar Aliyev for another five years.

Voter turnout was high - 68.5%. This was helped by a well-thought-out campaign campaign and mobilization of administrative resources by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party. According to rumors, in government organizations and companies, as well as in universities, employees and students were secretly advised who to vote for.

At Baku secondary school No. 160, where the 19th polling station was located, people joyfully talked about their choice. Dadash Asanov, first deputy chairman of the Azerkendtikinti joint stock company, has already voted. The question “for whom” did not bother him: “If we do not want to disrupt the existing stability in the country, if we do not want to return to the chaos of the early 1990s, then I think we need to vote for Ilham Aliyev.”

The villagers are also happy with the way the elections are going. Haji Jafaraga Jafarov, together with his wife Vasily and grandson, came to the polling station in the village of Kholgaragashly, Neftchala region of Azerbaijan. “I’m 72 years old,” says the head of the family. — I have always actively participated in elections, but today the whole family came, but everyone voted for their chosen candidate. My grandson Islam voted for the first time.” “I voted for Ilham Aliyev,” Islam joined the conversation. “He cares about young people, rural residents, whose lives have changed for the better in recent years.”

The presidential candidate from the New Azerbaijan Party, Ilham Aliyev, together with his wife Mehriban Aliyeva, voted in the morning at a polling station opened in Baku secondary school No. 6. This process was closely followed by representatives of foreign and local media, observers and other voters.

The radical opposition boycotted the elections and did not even try to become independent observers to monitor the voting process. The non-participation of such strong political figures as the chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Ali Karimli, the leader of the Musavat party Isa Gambar, the head of the public forum “In the Name of Azerbaijan” Eldar Namazov, deprived the fight for the presidency of even the appearance of intrigue. True, most local experts believe that even if there was a single candidate from all opposition forces, he could count on no more than 30% of the votes.

Against this background, the joy of yesterday's outsiders is understandable. The six losers, including three members of parliament, clearly entered the elections for the sake of the process and their own pleasure. One of the candidates, leader of the Muasir Musavat (New Musavat) party Hafiz Hajiyev, admitted defeat at a press conference called before the preliminary results were announced. He stated that he “does not consider his defeat a tragedy” and emphasized that “Azerbaijan is in good hands.” According to Hajiyev, the current presidential elections in the country are more democratic than previous ones: “This makes us very happy and is a great achievement of our people.”

Irada ALEKPEROVA, Baku