President Ilham Aliyev is expected to secure a fourth consecutive term in Azerbaijan’s election on Wednesday that opponents say has already been skewed in his favor.
Azerbaijan's Aliyev eyes fourth term in presidential election
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 11, ARTSAKHPRESS:The former Soviet republic’s huge energy reserves and its strategic location along the Caspian Sea mean it is viewed by Europe as an important alternative to Russia for energy supplies.
Opposition parties say they are boycotting the presidential vote because of Aliyev’s sustained crackdown on dissent during his rule and a likely rigging of electoral results.
“We are not going to participate in this show,” Jamil Hasanly, head of the National Council of Democratic Forces, the Azeri opposition coalition, told Reuters.
The 56-year-old Aliyev and his supporters deny allegations of vote fraud or that dissent has been suppressed.
