The ruling family currently in power in Azerbaijan is that of Heydar Aliyev, who seized power through a military coup in 1993. In 2003, Heydar Aliyev passed away, and his son, Ilham Aliyev, assumed the presidency. Over the past 32 years, the people of Azerbaijan have been excluded from governance; all positions have been occupied by individuals who display loyalty to the ruling family.The principle outlined in Article 6, Section I of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan - “No part of the Azerbaijani people, no social group, organization, or individual may usurp the authority to exercise power”—has been violated. Power has been usurped by a small group of individuals, and a grave crime, as defined in Section II of the same article, has been committed against the people. The executive and legislative authorities formed through fraudulent elections are unconstitutional and unlawful; the results of these elections cannot be recognized. In a country that, according to its Constitution, is governed under a republican system, fake presidential and parliamentary elections have led to a de facto absolutist regime for the last 31 years. Legislative, executive, and judicial powers have effectively been concentrated in a single hand. Over the past 31 years, thousands of citizens have suffered as political prisoners. Today, there are more than 30000 were sentenced to prison due to unjust judicial decisions, them more than 300 political prisoners recognized by international human rights organizations in the country. Citizens with opposing views are deprived of basic human rights. They are denied the right to work, to live safely, to receive fair trials, and to enjoy freedom. Many are forced to leave their homeland.
Our underground and aboveground resources are being appropriated in a non-transparent manner, without any legal oversight or the consent of the people, by a small elite group.Active political engagement, critical journalism, the defense of religious and human rights, and the cultural activities of national minorities have all been rendered virtually impossible in the country. Legal rights are systematically violated, and those who show principled activity in these areas are persecuted with fabricated charges, imprisoned, and in some cases even killed.All parliamentary, municipal, and presidential elections, as well as all referendums held in the country over the past 31 years, have been falsified. These facts have been confirmed by OSCE and other international organizations.The current regime, having seized power unlawfully, has held three sham referendums to maintain control and has modified the Constitution to serve its own desires and interests. In the fake referendum of March 18, 2009, Ilham Aliyev ensured his lifetime presidency by removing the constitutional clause limiting a person to two presidential terms.
In the most recent fake referendum held on September 26, 2016, Ilham Aliyev granted himself several additional privileges, including the power to call for “extraordinary presidential elections” without any justification.By appointing his wife, Mehriban Arif gizi Aliyeva, as the First Vice President, Ilham Aliyev fully consolidated power within his family.The Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the electoral legislation, under the direct control of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and other electoral bodies, do not allow for democratic, free, and fair elections.The Republic of Azerbaijan has transformed into an institution governed by a family regime that does not adhere to national or international laws and operates outside the legal framework.
All parliamentary, municipal, and presidential elections and referendums held over the last 32 years have been rigged. These facts have been verified by OSCE and other international organizations.Taking into account that the people of Azerbaijan have been completely deprived of the right to participate in governance, that all elections over the last 30 years—including the presidential election on February 7, 2024, and the parliamentary election on September 1, 2024—were falsified, and that rights such as freedom of speech, expression, peaceful assembly, and association have been restricted, politicians inside and outside the country launched the Azerbaijan Popular Parliament initiative on September 4, 2024. This initiative quickly garnered the interest of Azerbaijani citizens. On October 18, 2024, the Azerbaijan Popular Parliament (APP) was officially founded with the participation of 62 individuals. At the Founding Conference, the APP Charter and Founding Declaration were adopted. The founding session of APP was broadcast live on six YouTube channels.
During the following two months (November and December 2024), candidate registration and pre-election campaigning took place. Elections to the APP were held from December 23 to 29, and 175 registered candidates received a total of 493,141 votes. The 87 candidates with the highest number of votes were elected to the APP.Germany’s “Softry” company assisted in the election process using its “Poll for All” software. The one-week election process experienced no hacker interference and continued uninterrupted throughout.The organization “Freedom House of Ukraine” supported the establishment of the APP by sharing its expertise.On January 11, 2025, the first session of the APP was convened. During this session, the APP Regulations were adopted and the Presidium was elected. Currently, APP has five functioning committees and two commissions, with initiatives underway to create an additional committee and commission. In its early sessions, APP held hearings on the state and constitutional crisis in Azerbaijan, political imprisonments, the human rights situation, the concentration of power, and police brutality, adopting comprehensive resolutions on these issues.APP has appointed authorized representatives to establish cooperation with European countries and organizations and has tasked them with building these relationships.
Ilham Aliyev said: "We prepared a package of proposals in 2019. Some of the proposals are possible with constitutional amendments. If the proposals are approached positively from this perspective, a referendum is necessary. There may be a need to hold a referendum for increasing the number of members of parliament, switching to a proportional election system, and changes related to the governance system. A referendum is expected. The President of Azerbaijan also said some time ago that the current executive power structure is a relic of the former Soviet Union. The head of state also noted that a transition to another governance system may be possible in the future. After our lands were liberated from occupation, a special representative office of the President was established in these territories. It is possible to slightly improve the governance system. I do not exclude the possibility of constitutional amendments. In this case, a referendum will be inevitable."
No official information has been provided on whether a referendum will be held or not. Although the position of the authorities has not yet been fully disclosed, speculation is growing in the political environment that such a step is possible.
With this constitutional amendment in the referendum, Ilham Aliyev intends to further smooth the path for his wife and son to the prezidency by appointing people close to him to the members of parliament.
Although Azerbaijan is officially a republic, Ilham Aliyev currently rules the country as an absolute monarchy.
Jamil Hajiyev.