Azerbaijan to hold early parliamentary elections on Sept.1

Azerbaijan will head to the polls on Sept. 1 for the seventh time in its history to elect members to its Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan (National Assembly).

The elections, originally scheduled for November, were brought forward after Azerbaijanian President Ilham Aliyev dissolved parliament on June 28 and called for early elections.

This move follows the country’s preparations to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in November.

Over 6.4 million registered voters to participate in Azerbaijan’s election

The election will see 990 candidates competing for 125 seats in the Milli Mejlis. With 6.4 million registered voters, Azerbaijan’s election will feature candidates from 25 political parties, including the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Aliyev, as well as independent candidates.

Extensive international observation for elections

International observation of the election will be extensive, with 604 foreign observers, including delegations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Organization of Turkic States, and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA).

The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) will also send a delegation to observe the election process.

Historic voting in recently liberated territories of Azerbaijan

For the first time in 30 years, voting will take place across all Azerbaijani territories, including those recently liberated from Armenian occupation.

Polling stations have been set up in key areas such as Shusha, the symbolic city of Karabakh, and regions like Khojaly, Khojavend, Aghdam, Jabrail, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Lachin and Kalbajar.

Over 42,000 voters from these regions are expected to participate, marking a significant moment in Azerbaijan’s history.

Election timeline, key details

Voting will commence at 8:00 a.m. local time and will conclude at 19:00. The election is expected to reshape Azerbaijan’s legislative body significantly as the country continues to navigate its post-conflict and reconstruction phase.

The decision to hold the elections earlier than planned came after the Milli Mejlis requested President Aliyev to dissolve the parliament.

The request was made in consideration of Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP 29 in November.

Following the dissolution, President Aliyev scheduled the elections for Sept. 1.