OPPOSITION LEADERS in Azerbaijan ridiculed the democratic credentials of President Ilham Aliyev yesterday, as he appeared poised to secure a second term in office with a crushing election victory, writes Daniel McLaughlin
In a poll boycotted by leading critics, Mr Aliyev took more than 80 per cent of the ballots according to exit polls, all but confirming a landslide win that was never in real doubt.
Official results are due to be announced today, along with an assessment of the election by western monitors, whom opposition figures fear will temper criticism of the vote amid attempts by the EU and US to strengthen ties with energy-rich Azerbaijan.
One exit poll gave Mr Aliyev 80.5 per cent of the votes, with Gulamhussein Alibayli second with 5.4 per cent. Another poll gave the incumbent 86 per cent of ballots and forecast his closest rival would be Iqbal Aghazade, with 3 per cent.
"This is just an imitation of an election by Ilham Aliyev's regime," said Isa Gambar, who came second in the 2003 presidential election but has since been banned from appearing on television in Azerbaijan, where political opposition and independent media are strongly suppressed.
"All of the real opposition parties and all the people who support real democracy in Azerbaijan are boycotting this election," he said.
Six other candidates ostensibly ran for office alongside Mr Aliyev - who succeeded his father as president when he died in 2003 - but all were supporters of his regime.
In 2003, Mr Aliyev, dogged by a reputation as a playboy and gambler, quickly cracked down on dissent by deploying riot police to break up post-election protests, sparking clashes which left two people dead and saw hundreds thrown into prison.
Mr Aliyev (46) has also presided over an economic boom, however, fuelled by the Caspian Sea oil and gas that have made Azerbaijan a key ally for the US and EU as they try to wean themselves off Russian energy and secure a foothold in the strategic Caucasus region.
Efforts by Washington, Brussels and Moscow to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan have only increased since Russia's recent military intervention in neighbouring Georgia.