Western experts are increasingly interested in the processes as the extraordinary presidential elections in Azerbaijan approach. Many political experts expressed a very positive attitude to the preparatory works related to the elections. However, the main thing that attracts public attention is the democratic and transparent conduct of the presidential elections, as well as the attitude of the opposition parties to the process.
Speaking to Azernews, Dr. Frank Musmar, a political journalist from the state of Texas, USA, shared his views on the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan. When talking about President Ilham Aliyev’s candidacy he attracted particular attention by touching on some important points.
“President Ilham Aliyev's popularity in Azerbaijan has recently increased, reaching 75 percent of the population approval after the government took complete control of the liberated Garabagh region, representing a new era in the history of the country and succeeding in turning a republic once thought of as a Soviet backwater into a flourishing energy supplier to Europe,” doctor Musmar said.
He added that Azerbaijan, as the first post-Soviet country, is holding presidential elections as a country that has fully secured its territorial integrity.
“President Aliyev marked the 20th anniversary of his own time in power, and marking the victory with a new election for the first time in post-Soviet Azerbaijan in Garabagh is a perfect timing to announce the official start of the new era. Conducting the elections now will sum up this chronological period.
The upcoming election is necessary to represent the maturity of the democratic system of Azerbaijan globally. It is the first time an election has been held on the entire territory of Azerbaijan with 6,320,500 registered voters, and a total number of 49 polling stations has been set up in 37 countries; mobile voting boxes will be set up to enable sick people and older people to vote during the election process and ensure election transparency, 65,000 observers from 19 political parties have been accredited to monitor the election, and 512 international observers from 70 countries and 49 international organizations have been certified for the election,” he said.
Saying that the elections are in accordance with democratic rules, the US pundit added that the absence of the opposition in the elections in the country damages the principles of democracy.
“However, the opposition parties are all boycotting the race, which is a wrong move that many opposition parties make globally. If the opposition parties believe in Democracy, they should participate and help electoral authoritarian regimes transform into democracies because boycotting strategies tend to derail rather than promote democratization,” he emphasised.
At the same time, Dr. Frank Musmar characterized the concept of democracy in Azerbaijan through the eyes of the West. He also compared the approach to democracy principles between the West and Azerbaijan.
“Democratic elections are pivotal to a country's governance quality and reflect the free expression of the people's will. In Western societies, Democracy is considered liberal, a sovereign democracy limited by a constitution that guarantees individual freedoms and rights. However, these essential freedoms should not be subject to a democratic vote. Moreover, Democracy does not have to be liberal, and many nations today have illiberal democracies where voting continues, but liberal characteristics, such as an independent judiciary and free press, have been compromised.
Historically, and during Azerbaijan's first independent era, Azerbaijan created the first parliament with 11 parties and factions, including two Armenian factions within the parliament on May 28, 1918. Moreover, Azerbaijan was the first functional Democracy in the entire Muslim world and gave parity to women to receive the right to vote in Baku before most European and American countries.
Modern Azerbaijan society believes in Democracy, equal opportunity, the right to access information, and the right to association at the same level as the western democratic societies. Moreover, the independence and vibrancy of its mass media always protect transparency and fairness in elections. Azerbaijan succeeded in creating a democratic system after a long era of a Soviet-style political and economic system and foreign policy of their creation.
In the end, the expert also touched on the economy of Azerbaijan. He emphasized the efficiency of economic reforms in the country in the last few years and added that the Azerbaijani authorities managed to establish a balanced policy both in the region where it exists and outside the region through a perfect strategy.
“Azerbaijan has the largest population in the South Caucasus region, and the fastest-growing economy in the world. Geographically, it straddles the border between East and West, enjoys positive relations with Turkey, Russia, the United States, Israel, and the European Union, besides France, and possesses essential oil and natural gas resources, which enhances its global importance. Azerbaijan's budget has increased 30 times in the last 20 years, decreasing the poverty level in 2022 from 44.7 % to 5.5 %, increasing the average monthly salary 12 times from 45 $ to 543$, and increasing employment by 25 %, from 4 million people in 2017 to 5 million people in 2023. Moreover, the GDP of the non-oil sector has grown 3.4 times, showing the success of diversification of the macro-economy.
Azerbaijan's foreign policy is a delicate balance between pursuing national interests, restoring territorial integrity, and expanding its international influence. However, the ongoing global competition over the hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian Sea and the ambitions of regional powers to maintain influence in this strategic location are always a challenge to foreign policies. The country's cooperation with the United Nations programs, NATO peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, public diplomacy and education programs, and engagement on other non-sensitive issues is winning foreign policies that are giving the country the international community's support on its foreign policy objectives. Maintaining military de-facto neutrality helps ensure Azerbaijan's safety and alleviates potential pressures and risks from regional powerhouses,” Dr.Musmar concluded.
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Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews’ Deputy Editor-in-Chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1
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