The early presidential elections held on February 7, 2024 will go down in the history of Azerbaijan thanks to the extraordinary turnout of voters. According to forecasts, today's overwhelming majority of votes were cast for the current President Ilham Aliyev.
EXCLUSIVE
Today, citizens of Azerbaijan stand in queues at polling stations to cast their votes in the early presidential elections. As Sergei Markov, an observer from Russia and director of the Institute of Political Studies, noted in an interview with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, the voter turnout is explained by the unique historical circumstances of the elections. They are being held throughout the entire territory of Azerbaijan for the first time.
"What we see while watching the elections is unusual in terms of voting activity. Perhaps we will see some sensational results, and the high turnout rates are definitely sensational. They are significantly higher than in previous elections", he said.
"This, of course, is due to the uniqueness of today's election. For the first time, the elections are being held throughout the territory of Azerbaijan, including Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. What the Azerbaijani people have been striving for for many decades has come true, and in fact, for voters, the current voting is a symbolic way to proclaim once again that Karabakh is Azerbaijan", Sergei Markov said.
"The turnout is very high because of this. There are long queues at all the polling stations that we've visited. It is likely that the turnout will exceed 80%, and President Ilham Aliyev will have more than 90% of the votes. Such an impeccable victory in the elections will be a demostration of the fact that Ilham Aliyev has moved from the category of popular, successful statesmen to the category of national heroes", the observer from the Russian Federation emphasized.
The political scientist added that the election results would guarantee the further development and prosperity of Azerbaijan. "Elections are the way to the future. Of course, they will have a positive impact on the subsequent life of the republic. Not least because the well-developed, effective policy of the state is preserved, as the current president wins", he concluded.
