KARABAKH is a region of Azerbaijan which has been under the occupation of Armenia since the war broke out between the two states in 1988-1994. Around 30,000 people have been killed and one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees in their own homeland. Today the negotiations are being held, albeit with no result. We hope that soon all occupied territories will be freed from the Armenian occupation and wait eagerly for the day when the refugees will return to their homeland who now live in miserable conditions, in wagons and camps.
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Politics
State symbols of the Azerbaijan Republic are, according to the Article 23 of Constitution, the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem.
Azerbaijan is a presidential republic. The head of state and head of government are separate from the country�s law-making body. The people elect the president for a five-year term of office. The president appoints all cabinet-level government administrators. A fifty-member elected national assembly makes the country�s laws. Azerbaijan has universal suffrage above the age of eighteen.
After the presidential elections of October 15, 2003, an official release of the Central Election Committee (CEC) gave ?sa Qambar � leader of the largest opposition bloc, Bizim Az?rbaycan ("Our Azerbaijan") � 14% percent of the electorate and the second place in the election. Third, with 3.6%, came Lala Shevket, leader of the National Unity Movement, the first woman to run in presidential election in Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, Human Rights Watch and other international organizations, as well as local independent political and NGOs voiced concern about observed vote rigging and a badly flawed counting process.
Several independent local and international organizations that had been observing and monitoring the election directly or indirectly declared Isa Gambar winner in the 15 October election. Another view shared by many international organisations is that in reality a second tour of voting should have taken place between the two opposition candidates Isa Gambar and Lala Shevket.
� the government has heavily intervened in the campaigning process in favor of Prime Minister Ilham Aliev, son of current President Heidar Aliev. The government has stacked the Central Election Commission and local election commission with its supporters, and banned local non-governmental organizations from monitoring the vote. As the elections draw nearer, government officials have openly sided with the campaign of Ilham Aliev, constantly obstructing opposition rallies and attempting to limit public participation in opposition events. In some cases, local officials have closed all the roads into town during opposition rallies, or have extended working and school hours�on one occasion, even declaring Sunday a workday�to prevent participation in opposition rallies.
Azerbaijan held parliamentary elections on Sunday, 6 November 2005.
Azerbaijan was elected as one the members of the newly established Human Rights Council (HRC) by the General Assembly on 9 May 2006. Term of office will begin on 19 June 2006
Azerbaijan is a presidential republic. The head of state and head of government are separate from the country�s law-making body. The people elect the president for a five-year term of office. The president appoints all cabinet-level government administrators. A fifty-member elected national assembly makes the country�s laws. Azerbaijan has universal suffrage above the age of eighteen.
After the presidential elections of October 15, 2003, an official release of the Central Election Committee (CEC) gave ?sa Qambar � leader of the largest opposition bloc, Bizim Az?rbaycan ("Our Azerbaijan") � 14% percent of the electorate and the second place in the election. Third, with 3.6%, came Lala Shevket, leader of the National Unity Movement, the first woman to run in presidential election in Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, Human Rights Watch and other international organizations, as well as local independent political and NGOs voiced concern about observed vote rigging and a badly flawed counting process.
Several independent local and international organizations that had been observing and monitoring the election directly or indirectly declared Isa Gambar winner in the 15 October election. Another view shared by many international organisations is that in reality a second tour of voting should have taken place between the two opposition candidates Isa Gambar and Lala Shevket.
� the government has heavily intervened in the campaigning process in favor of Prime Minister Ilham Aliev, son of current President Heidar Aliev. The government has stacked the Central Election Commission and local election commission with its supporters, and banned local non-governmental organizations from monitoring the vote. As the elections draw nearer, government officials have openly sided with the campaign of Ilham Aliev, constantly obstructing opposition rallies and attempting to limit public participation in opposition events. In some cases, local officials have closed all the roads into town during opposition rallies, or have extended working and school hours�on one occasion, even declaring Sunday a workday�to prevent participation in opposition rallies.
Azerbaijan held parliamentary elections on Sunday, 6 November 2005.
Azerbaijan was elected as one the members of the newly established Human Rights Council (HRC) by the General Assembly on 9 May 2006. Term of office will begin on 19 June 2006
