Azerbaijan's ruling party nominates Aliyev for re-election
Azerbaijan's ruling party on Friday nominated incumbent President Ilham Aliyev for re-election next year, a move expected to extend the decades-long authoritarian rule of the Aliyev family, AFP reported.
The 61-year-old has governed the energy-rich country with an iron fist since 2003, when he succeeded his father, Heydar, a former KGB officer and Communist-era boss.
Aliyev last week called the snap leadership contest for February 7 next year. Presidential elections had previously been scheduled for 2025.
On Friday, Aliyev's Yeni Azerbaijan party nominated him for re-election during the party's governing council meeting, an AFP journalist reported.
"This is a decision not only of our party, but of the entire people," the party's deputy chairman, Ali Akhmedov, said at the meeting.
"Over the 20 years of his rule, Ilham Aliyev accomplished all the wishes of our people," he added.