Azerbaijan

C

Judiciary

Judicial power is exercised by the Constitutional Court of the Azerbaijan Republic, the Supreme Court, and the Economic Court. The chair of the Supreme Court and the Economic Court are appointed and dismissed by the Milli Majlis on the recommendation of the president, but the chair and deputy chair of the constitutional court are appointed solely by the president. The justice system has changed little since the Soviet era and the operation of judicial power is poorly developed.

D

Health and Welfare

A structure of universal health care was inherited from the Soviet era, but outdated technology and lack of resources and personnel have resulted in poor quality of service. Reforms to the health service that were proposed in the mid-1990s were envisaged to be self-financing, while still maintaining free medical care for the poorest. In 2006 there was a ratio of 1 doctor to every 276 people and in 2008 there was an infant mortality rate of 56 deaths per 1,000 live births. Expenditure on health amounted to 4.27 per cent of GDP in 1990. In 2000 it was reported that the occurrence of malaria in Azerbaijan had dropped by 80 per cent in two years, a world record in the fight against the disease.

E

Defence

The armed forces were formed after independence and totalled some 66,490 personnel in 2004, comprising 56,840 in the army; 1,750 in the navy; and 7,900 in the air force. Military service is for a 17-month term, which may be extended for ground forces. In addition to the armed forces there is a paramilitary force of approximately 15,000 personnel. In 2003 Azerbaijan spent US$950 million (3.2 per cent of its GDP) on defence.

F

International Organizations

Azerbaijan is a member of the United Nations (UN); the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which it had left in October 1992 and rejoined in September 1993; the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); the Partnership for Peace (PFP); the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact (BSECP); and the Council of Europe (CE).

VI

History

The area of Azerbaijan was settled from about the 8th century bc by the Medes, and the region later became part of the Persian Empire. A much-disputed area, it was conquered in the late 7th century ad by Arabs, who introduced Islamic culture. Turkic tribes controlled the area in the 11th and 12th centuries. Azerbaijan again came under Persian control in the 17th century and was ceded by Persia to Russia through treaties in 1813 and 1828. In 1918, after the Russian Revolution, Azerbaijan became an independent state. In 1920 it was proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of the USSR and united with Georgia and Armenia to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (SFSR). When that dissolved in 1936, Azerbaijan became a constituent republic of the USSR. The collapse of Communism in the USSR in 1991 led to the independence of Azerbaijan. It joined the UN in 1992.

Political turmoil characterized the first years of Azerbaijani independence, and the constitution was violated on several occasions. President Ayaz Mutalibov (1990-1992) was forced to resign in March 1992 after he was held directly responsible for the death of several hundred Azerbaijanis killed by Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, the primarily Armenian enclave claimed by Armenia. The interim president, Yagub Mamedov (1992), was unable to control the political situation. The APF attempted to take over local administrations, and Mutalibov made an aborted attempt to regain power. With the support of military units, the APF seized control in an almost bloodless coup in May 1992, after which the Supreme Soviet was suspended by the Milli Majlis. In June 1992 Aliyev Abulfaz Elchibey, the APF chairman, was elected president, with 55 per cent of the popular vote. Elchibey soon lost popularity, however, because of his inability to improve the economy or end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pressure on him increased when he attempted to disarm a disobedient military garrison based in Gäncä in June 1993. The garrison, led by Colonel Surat Huseinov, marched on Baku and seized control, despite protests and appeals from Elchibey, who fled to Naxçıvan. The Milli Majlis voted to transfer Elchibey’s powers to Heydar Aliev, the 71-year old Communist Party leader and long-time KGB official who had been elected chairman of the Milli Majlis earlier the same month. A republic-wide referendum supported Elchibey’s removal, and in October 1993 Aliev was elected president with 98.8 per cent of the popular vote in an uncontested election. The Milli Majlis appointed Huseinov as prime minister and charged him with coordinating the country’s military effort in Nagorno-Karabakh. The position of both leaders was threatened by a series of Armenian victories in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993 and the loss of control over large areas of Azerbaijani territory. In March 1995 Aliev crushed an attempted coup and extended the state of emergency imposed after the previous failed coup in October 1994.

The first International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan of about US$46 million was approved in April 1995. Armenia withdrew from peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh in May following an explosion that badly damaged a pipeline supplying gas to Armenia; the talks were resumed in September. In May Fuad Guliyev was confirmed as prime minister, having served on an acting basis since October 1994. In August the APF and at least 15 other political parties were refused registration and effectively banned. A bloc of 21 opposition parties formed and threatened to boycott the elections. The first round of the first legislative elections since independence in 1991 was held in November to elect the new 125-seat parliament and vote on a new constitution. Voting irregularities were noted by observers from the Council of Europe and the UN.

The new constitution was approved by more than 90 per cent of the electorate. Inconclusive talks with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh were held in the Hague in December 1995. In July 1996, following the resignation of Prime Minister Fuad Guliyev, his deputy, Artur Rasizade, was chosen as acting prime minister, and his appointment was confirmed in November. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed in April, with the worst fighting since the implementation of the ceasefire in May 1994. President Aliev visited the United States in July; during his visit he signed an accord on military cooperation, and contracts worth some US$8,000 million for the development by US companies of oilfields in the Caspian Sea.

The Milli Majlis passed the abolition of the death penalty in February 1998. Aliev was returned with more than 75 per cent of the vote in October's presidential election, despite accusations of electoral irregularities. Azerbaijan withdrew from the collective security treaty of the CIS in February 1999 in protest at Armenia's continued occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Another round of talks with Armenia on the ownership of the enclave took place in June. In December the first local elections since independence were held in Azerbaijan, with over 21,000 local seats contested.

Azerbaijan condemned legislative elections that took place in June 2000 in Nagorno-Karabakh, though talks between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia concerning the future of the territory were described as promising. In the same month, in preparation for the country’s membership of the Council of Europe, Aliev announced amnesty for political prisoners. The United Communist Party of Azerbaijan (UCPA) changed its name to the Communist Workers’ Party of Azerbaijan (CWPA) in August.

Legislative elections, which took place in early November, were, according to official sources, won by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, which secured 78 out of 124 seats. Voting was, however, boycotted by certain opposition parties and condemned as undemocratic by Azeri protesters and foreign observers alike.

Efforts towards improving relations with other countries in the region were made in the latter part of 2000 and in 2001. At the United Nations (UN) Millennium Summit in New York in September 2000, Azerbaijan and other GUUAM countries (Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Moldova) mapped out improved trade relations, including the restoration of the ancient Silk Route. Armenia and Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe in January 2001, and in February new initiatives relating to Nagorno-Karabakh, brokered by France and Turkey, were unveiled and cautiously welcomed by both sides; negotiations concerning the future of the region continued throughout the year. An agreement concerning sales of natural gas from gas fields from the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to Turkey was signed in March 2001. Further privatization of state-managed companies in 2001 offered international investment opportunities, especially in the oil sector and heavy industry. In August, Azerbaijan officially replaced the Cyrillic script with the Latin alphabet—a controversial measure designed to bring the country closer to the West but, at the same time, alienating large parts of society.

In January 2002 the United States waived the ban on direct governmental aid to Azerbaijan, which had been in force since 1992, when the country had introduced a blockade of Armenia; the sanctions were lifted in recognition of Azerbaijan’s role in the US-led international campaign against terrorism. In May the country received a visit from the pope. President Aliev met with Robert Kocharyan of Armenia in talks to discuss the continuing situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, while in the secessionist region the president, Arkady Gukasyan, was re-elected by more than 88 per cent of the popular vote.

In a referendum held by the government in August 2002, 97 per cent of voters agreed to approve constitutional changes. The belief that the changes were intended to strengthen the Aliev dynastic line were proved correct when in August 2003 Ilham Aliev was appointed prime minister. Heydar Aliev stood aside at the 2003 presidential election, allowing Ilham to win comfortably. International observers declared the poll faulty and opposition supporters held street demonstrations that ended in violent clashes. In December Heydar Aliev died while undergoing medical treatment in the United States.

In late 2003 hopes were raised that the ongoing conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh might be ended peaceably; in December, representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia held talks in Scotland and decided to introduce a system of rotating presidency in the enclave.

The parliamentary elections of November 2005 were won by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, which took 58 seats. However, neutral observers judged the elections unfair and cited fraud. Demonstrations decrying the rigged polls were organized by opposition groups in Baku (reminiscent of the “Orange Revolution” protests following the elections in Ukraine). They were heavily policed.