Voters Overwhelmingly Support President Aliyev in Election that Wins Praise From Monitors
President Ilham Aliyev has won a five-year term after a high voter turnout in a national election on Wednesday.
Election results show President Aliyev garnered an overwhelming 89 percent of the vote against six other candidates.
Despite a call by some political opponents to boycott the elections, more than 76 percent of Azerbaijan’s 4.8 million eligible voters turned out at the polls, Voice of America reported. More than 1,250 international observers monitored the vote alongside 30,000 local election monitors.
The country’s political process is winning accolades from both local and international observers for the election.
Detta O'Cathain, a member the U.K. House of Lords and a member of an international monitoring group, said the Azerbaijani authorities made a “commitment to conduct a free and fair election, and I have no doubt that this commitment was met. I see major improvement,” O’Cathain told reporters in Baku after the polls closed.
“I express my deep regret that the opposition boycotted this election… I think every political party should have taken advantage and participated,” O'Cathain said.
Washington, D.C. Honors ‘Son of Baku’
Maestro Rostropovich
Hundreds turned out at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. this week to celebrate the life and music of Baku-born Maestro Mstislav Rostropovich, considered to have been one of the greatest conductors and cellists in the world.
The Oct. 16 event, “An Evening of Remembrances,” honoring Rostropovich featured the presentation of a book by Azerbaijan’s First Lady Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva Rostropovich: The Great Son of Baku. A first edition of the book was presented by Ambassador Yashar Aliyev to the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, for inclusion in the library’s collection.
“I am certain that numerous other books will be written about Rostropovich,” the First Lady, who also serves as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, writes in her preface to the book. “Each book will undoubtedly reflect certain parts of his musical works, his life, and his personality. This book merely reflects the pages of his life in Baku.”
The First Lady writes in the book that Rostropovich, who also served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, had a special connection with citizens of Baku, who would often approach him on the street as if talking to an old friend.
“Rostropovich changed the very destiny of the cello, transforming it into a solo instrument and compelling it to speak like never before. Likewise, over these ten years he was able to transform the lives of the many people who were lucky enough to have spent time with him,” the First Lady writes.
The evening also featured a display of rare photographs from the Rostropovich Museum in Baku. The photographs are a gift from the Government of Azerbaijan to the Library of Congress, Ambassador Aliyev announced to the audience.
Born in Baku in 1927, Rostropovich remained a strong supporter of Azerbaijan throughout his life, becoming a driving force behind the restoration and reopening of Baku’s stunning Philharmonic Hall, as well as giving cello master classes at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. He and his wife, Galina Vishnevskaya, also funded a vaccination program in Azerbaijan.
The event was made open to the public through support of the Embassy of Azerbaijan.
Showing a strong interest in this week’s election in Azerbaijan that gave a resounding win to President Ilham Aliyev, 88 percent of Azerbaijani voters registered with the Embassy in Washington, D.C., cast their ballots on Oct. 15.
The Embassy had set up a five-member election commission headed by Consular Officer Ali Garayaev.
The Embassy had two closed-door rooms where voters were allowed in one at a time. A copy of the election code was placed in each voting room. Once completed, the ballots were folded and placed in a clear and locked box in the main hall of the Embassy. All ballots have now been sent to Baku to be tabulated by the Central Election Commission.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte recently visited Azerbaijan, where he emphasized the two countries’ shared interests and close cooperation on security and energy issues.