Azerbaijan is set to hold a snap parliamentary election on Sunday, marking the first such election since regaining full control of a former breakaway territory in a swift offensive last year. Previous elections in the country, post-independence from the Soviet Union, have been criticized for not being entirely free or fair. The upcoming vote for the Milli Mejlis parliament is not anticipated to bring about significant changes to the body, which is predominantly controlled by the New Azerbaijan party led by President Ilham Aliyev.
Originally scheduled for November as per the constitution, President Aliyev decided to advance the election by two months due to Baku hosting the United Nations climate talks, COP29, in the same month. The Aliyev family has been at the helm of Azerbaijan since 1993, employing authoritarian tactics to stifle dissent while the country, with a population of nearly 10 million, has enjoyed economic prosperity from its vast oil and natural gas reserves.
