Azerbaijan: OSCE Election Observation Account
The Continuing Adventures of Super Steve details life as an election observer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during the recent presidential election in Azerbaijan. The blog also comments on the level of democracy in the country.
Although many of the Azeri opposition parties claimed that the election wasn’t completely fair, Ilham has managed to maintain high popularity in a country where politics are based more on personality than policy.
In fact, to an outside, the politics of Azerbaijan seem almost cult-like.
[…]
How much Democracy can there be when a single family – first father, then son – have continuous rule of a country for almost 40 years?
The big test will come in 2013, when President Ilham Aliyev completes his second term.
According to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the president is limited to two terms of office – just like here in the United States (though they have 5-years terms and we have 4-year administrations).
Will they change the rules to allow Ilham to run for a third term?
Will his wife run to replace him, until their son is old enough?
And is this something that can only happen in Azerbaijan?
Sadly, no…
- Published:
- 10.24.08 / 4pm by Onnik
- Category:
- Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Presidential Election 2008, Blogs, News Briefs, OSCE, Opinion
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