Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan - Azerbeycan : Baku -
Speach of the first democratic president of Azerbaijan, Mehmed Emin Resulzade - AXC - 28.05.1918
Next municipal elections : December 2009 - last rigged municipal elections : 17 December 2004 & December 2006 - mayors are political appointees
The number of municipalities has been cut to 2.735 since 1999 from 4.176 rural and 85 urban municipalities. The number of councilars is now 21.647. The number of municipalities in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is set at 224. The opposition boycotted the 2004 elections due to obstacles to campaigning and pressure from local authorities. The re-elections were due since March 2005 but haven't been held till late 2006.
The governing YAP took 64% of the seats, 31% were given to government-minded "independants" and the CEC gave 4% of the seats to other gonvernment-controlled parties.
The local elections falsifications in 1999, 2004 and 2006 have been observed by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, an Council of Europe institution.
Mrs. Gulnaz Salamova (independant), Councillor in Sheki, joined the ILDG group in the CLRA of the Council of Europe.
Next parliamentary elections : November 2010 - last rigged parliamentary elections : 6 November 2005 & 13 May 2006
The most relevant international observer group released the day after elections: "While observers noted limited improvements in the course of past elections, observers were not in a position to report that elections in Azerbaijan were conducted in line with OSCE Commitments and other international standards for democratic elections."
Milli Meclis (125 deputies) - faction minimum is 25
ruling party NAP-YAP: 118 - includes government directed ADRP-ADIP, Civic Solidarity Party, Compatriot-Yurtdas, Motherland-Ana Vatan, Alliance for Azerbaijan, Communist Party and Social Prosperity-Sosiyal Refah parties and so called "independants"
opposition: 6 (independant, Müsavat and YeS)
vacant: 1 (ALP leader Lala Shovket's mandate)
Freedom - Azadlig Block and PFAP - AXCP Azerbaycan Halg Cephesi Partiyasi
National Unity Movement / Liberal Party Leader Lale Sevket Hacili

AMIP is member of IDU and is cooperating with the Swedish Moderate Party. Müsavat Party is a member of ELDR. SDPA is member of SI.
Azerbaijan has six observers (plus 6 substitutes) in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: 4 YAP 1 Musavat 4 Independants.
Premier Artur Rasi-Zade since 1996
Next presidential elections : 15 October 2013 - last rigged presidential elections : 15 October 2008 - unelected President Ilkham Gaidarevich Aliyev since 15 October 2003 (President Gaidar Aliyev died in August 2003, his son Ilkham was appointed illegally to the post of premier with the produced signature of the already dead G. Aliyev. The October 2003 Presidential Elections were falsified.) - The only democratically elected president of Azerbaijan was Abulfaz Elchibey from June 1992 till 03 October 1993.
The national MPs of the Council of Europe tried to soften the OSCE/ODIHR statement on Azerbaijan's 15 October 2008 Presidential elections. Have a look at how some of them observed the elections. (François Loncle, French MP) Accredited jurnalists have been denied entry during elections.
Brutal human rights violations after the October 2003 elections, 15 October 2003 17 October 2003
In July 2008 the opposition Azadliq block decided to boycott the last presidential elections.