September 2, 2024
Azerbaijan’s ruling party retains a parliamentary majority after early voting
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev votes at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Baku, Azerbaijan September 1, 2024. — Reuters BAKU: Azerbaijan’s ruling party retained its majority in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election, preliminary results showed, in the country’s first vote since it launched a blitzkrieg a year ago to retake the breakaway territory of Karabakh. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a rights watchdog, criticized the vote, saying it fell well below democratic standards. President Ilham Aliyev’s party was set to win 68 of the 125 seats in parliament, according to preliminary results from the Central Election


