Arrr, me hearties! Azerbaijan's Cap'n Ilham Aliyev be holdin' his throne once more, sailin' to victory in a grand triumph!
2024-02-07
Avast ye hearties! Tidings be told, Cap'n Ilham Aliyev be snatchin' the throne again, with a rousin' victory! His fleet be reclaimin' Nagorno-Karabakh, settlin' the score with a swashbucklin' success! Aye, the winds o' re-election be blowin' in his favor!
In the preliminary results of Azerbaijan's presidential elections, incumbent President Ilham Aliyev claimed a landslide victory with 92.1% of the votes. Other candidates on the ballot received less than 3% each, with three already conceding and congratulating Aliyev. Aliyev, who has been in power for over 20 years, called for an early election following Azerbaijan's swift reclaiming of the Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian forces. Analysts suggest that he capitalized on his burst in popularity after the conflict in Karabakh. The voter turnout was strong, with over 76% of eligible voters casting their ballots. Aliyev's expected re-election was celebrated by hundreds of people in Baku, and he received congratulatory messages from world leaders. Aliyev aims to mark the beginning of a new era where Azerbaijan has full control over its territory. The region of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas came under Armenian control in 1994 but were regained by Azerbaijan in 2020 after a six-week war and subsequent Moscow-brokered truce. The conflict led to the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians. Aliyev's victory is not without criticism, as his time in power has seen the introduction of strict laws curbing political debate and the arrest of opposition figures and journalists. The two main opposition parties in Azerbaijan did not participate in the elections, citing concerns about the lack of democratic processes and political competition.