Azerbaijan’s constitutional referendum featured a Soviet-style result, as election officials claimed that more than nine out of every 10 voters expressed approval for lifting presidential term limits. Overall, the Azerbaijan's Central Elections Commission reported a 71 percent turnout for Wednesday's ballot. Only a 25 percent turnout rate was required for the referendum results to stand. The initiative was proposed in December by the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) Party, which Aliyev heads. The Azerbaijani constitution limited presidents to two five-year terms.
Opposition members fear that the change could turn Azerbaijan’s presidency into a hereditary position, controlled by the Aliyev family. Already, Azerbaijan has set a precedent for dynastic succession in the former Soviet Union: llham Aliyev was preceded in office by his father, Heidar, who died in 2003 after 10 years as president of Azerbaijan. The elder Aliyev is now portrayed in Azerbaijan as the founding father of the modern Azerbaijani state.
Opposition members fear that the change could turn Azerbaijan’s presidency into a hereditary position, controlled by the Aliyev family. Already, Azerbaijan has set a precedent for dynastic succession in the former Soviet Union: llham Aliyev was preceded in office by his father, Heidar, who died in 2003 after 10 years as president of Azerbaijan. The elder Aliyev is now portrayed in Azerbaijan as the founding father of the modern Azerbaijani state.
In a March 19 statement, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) noted that the vote was "transparent, well-organized and held in a peaceful atmosphere."At the same time, PACE took issue with the lack of public debate in the run-up to the referendum. The vote was announced in December, but the official campaign lasted only 28 days. Public television allotted just three hours per week to debates about the various constitutional changes.
Source: EurasiaNet.org
Source: EurasiaNet.org
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