Editing Politics of Azerbaijan (section)

==Political history==
Azerbaijan declared its independence from the former [[Soviet Union]] on August 30, 1991, with [[Ayaz Mutalibov]], former First Secretary of the [[Azerbaijani Communist Party]], becoming the country's first President. Following a [[Khojaly Massacre|massacre of Azerbaijanis]] at [[Khojali (city)|Khojali]] in [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] in March 1992, Mutalibov resigned and the country experienced a period of political fragility. The old guard returned Mutalibov to power in May 1992, but less than a week later his efforts to suspend scheduled presidential elections and ban all political activity prompted the opposition [[Azerbaijan Popular Front Party]] (PFP) to organize a resistance movement and take power. Among its reforms, the PFP dissolved the predominantly Communist [[Supreme Soviet]] and transferred its functions to the 50-member upper house of the legislature, the National Council.

Elections in June 1992 resulted in the selection of PFP leader [[ Abulfaz Elchibey]] as the country's second president. The national presidential elections with 7 candidates were held on 7 June 1992 in which Elchibey was elected the President of Azerbaijan, gaining 54% of votes and becoming Azerbaijan's first democratically elected, non-communist president. During the summer of 1992, Elchibey secured the full withdrawal of the Soviet army from Azerbaijan, which became the first and only former Soviet republic (after the Baltic states) free of Soviet military presence. At the same time, Elchibey's government established the national Caspian Navy and managed to reach an agreement with Russia on receiving one-quarter of the Soviet Caspian Navy based in Baku.

The National Council conferred presidential powers upon its new speaker, [[Heydar Aliyev]], former First Secretary of the [[Azerbaijani Communist Party]] (1969–81) and later a member of the Soviet Union's [[Politburo]], the [[KGB]], and USSR Deputy Prime Minister (until 1987). Elchibey was formally deposed by a national [[referendum]] in August 1993, and Aliyev was elected to a 5-year term as President in October with only token opposition. Aliyev won re-election to another 5-year term in 1998. According to conclusions of OSCE ODIHR election observation report "clear political will was demonstrated by the authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan to significantly improve on the election practice of the country. The efforts in this direction were initiated in the late spring of 1998 by a review of the election legislation to put it in line with OSCE commitments, by the formal abolishment of censorship in August 1998 and by the final approval of the new Citizenship Law in late September 1998. In this way the authorities responded positively to concerns raised by the international community and indicated their willingness to meet international standards in the conduct of the election process".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/azerbaijan/14329?download=true|title=PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN – 11 OCTOBER 1998|access-date=June 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118161755/https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/azerbaijan/14329?download=true|archive-date=November 18, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The Speaker of Parliament stood next in line to the President, but the constitution was changed at the end of 2002: now the premier is next in line. In August 2003, İlham Aliyev was appointed as premier. In the [[Azerbaijan presidential election, 2003|October 2003 presidential elections]], İlham Aliyev was the winner and was sworn in as president at the end of the same month, and Rasizade was appointed premier again.

Elections in Azerbaijan tend to be fairly predictable affairs, with little analysis needed. President Ilham Aliyev and his [[New Azerbaijan Party]] keep an iron grip on power through fraudulent votes; international observers have never deemed an election in the country to be free and fair. In April 2018, President Ilham Aliyev secured his fourth consecutive term in the [[2018 Azerbaijani presidential election|election]] that was boycotted by the main opposition parties as fraudulent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Welle (www.dw.com) |first1=Deutsche |title=Azerbaijan's strongman Ilham Aliyev re-elected for fourth consecutive term {{!}} DW {{!}} 11.04.2018 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/azerbaijans-strongman-ilham-aliyev-re-elected-for-fourth-consecutive-term/a-43349870 |work=DW.COM |date=11 April 2018}}</ref>