Today marks the start of the presidential election in Azerbaijan. Seven candidates are registered to participate in the early presidential election, including head of state Ilham Aliyev. For the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan, the election will span across the entire country, including the liberated territories.
EXCLUSIVE
Voting for the presidential election in Azerbaijan has kicked off, the correspondents of Vestnik Kavkaza reported.
Polling stations have already been opened for voters starting at 8:00 (GMT+4), Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said.
Voting will close at 19.00 (18.00 Moscow time). Preliminary results, according to CEC Chairman Mazahir Panakhov, will be announced at approximately 21.00 (20.00 Moscow time).
Candidates
Seven candidates are registered to participate.
In addition to incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, these are Zahid Oruj, Fuad Aliyev, Razi Nurullayev, Fazil Mustafa, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Elshad Musayev.
Elections in the liberated territories
The main feature of the 2024 presidential election is that for the first time in history voting is being held throughout the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
Mazahir Panahov said that voting will take place in Lachin, Shusha, Fizuli and Aghali. According to the chairman of the Central Election Commission, not only residents who returned to their native places after the liberation of lands from occupation, but also the military personnel (using absentee ballots), and, most importantly, the Armenians of Khankendi will be able to vote - they will need an Azerbaijani document. On its basis, any citizen of Azerbaijan, regardless of nationality, will be included in the electoral list.
Elections abroad
Abroad, Azerbaijani citizens will be able to vote at 49 polling stations, which were opened abroad in 37 countries around the world, the chair of the Central Election Commission noted. Voting for the Azerbaijani presidential election has officially begun at the polling station in Azerbaijan's embassy in South Korea and in Azerbaijan's embassy in China, starting at 08:00 local time (03.00 and 04.00 Baku time).
Three polling station are opened in Russia, one of them at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Moscow. It is expected that about 23,000 people will be able to cast their votes outside Azerbaijan.
On December 7, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev signed an executive order to hold an extraordinary presidential election on February 7, 2024.
