Presidential Elections to be Held in Azerbaijan

Presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan on Oct. 9. The elections were moved to this date because of the Festival of the Sacrifice.
 
The Central Election Commission (CEC), noting that the date of the presidential elections as specified in the constitution is to be on the Wednesday of the third week in October in the year when the term of office of the head of state expires and that this year, that date, Oct. 16, coincides with the Feast of the Sacrifice, announced that the commission members had unanimously decided that the elections would be held on Oct. 9 instead.
 
The upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be the start of an important process that will define the next five years for the Azerbaijani people. President Ilham Aliyev is the strongest candidate, but despite the fact that it is highly likely that he will be re-elected for a third term (2003, 2008, 2013), special attention was paid to the election campaign. The discourse raised in every election focusing on the need for order, safety and stability has not been stressed this year. Aliyev based his platform on the stability and welfare of his country, successes in foreign policy and significant developments in the field of energy.
 
The opposition argues that salaries as well as retirement benefits should be raised because of revenues earned from the increase in oil prices. They also ask for improvements in social services. Aliyev is also trying to use the slogan, “Azerbaijan 2020: vision for future.” The ruling New Azerbaijani Party (YAP) is working to improve economic conditions and offer better conditions for the people via social reforms as well as implement social policies to ensure that they lead a healthy life. The social economic model of the party entails providing for social justice and social protection and the improvement of economic and social life. This model lies in between a market economy and a centrally planned economy. Its main feature is its attachment to a strong socio-political system. The goal is to minimize the differences between different groups. To this end, politicians are trying to improve the social security and insurance systems and to facilitate home ownership.
 
The socio-economic transformation and progress that Azerbaijan has made in recent years is obvious. Azerbaijan has been integrated with the world economy over the last two decades, adding to and modernizing its infrastructure. Considering the performance of the former Soviet republics during this period, it becomes clear that Azerbaijan has shown a remarkable and impressive performance. Azerbaijan is getting richer every day. The young generation whose members study in Western institutions are now taking the reins in political, economic and bureaucratic posts. The emerging middle class wants better living conditions. They do not want a change of rule in the country because of past experiences when they suffered from a power struggle. They are aware of the present circumstances and ask for further democratic reforms to be made by the current administration. They want a democratic election and a democratic future for Azerbaijan. A strong Azerbaijan that continues to adhere to democratic principles and shows stable progress in the Southern Caucasus will be helpful to the democratization of the Turkic world.