Azerbaijan, Baku, 10 May / corr Trend E.Babayev / On 10 May Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a tribute at the memorial of great Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev at the Cemetery of Honors.
10 May sees the 85th birthday of Heydar Aliyev, which is being marked on the state level.
In May-June 1993, when, as the result of extreme tension of the governmental crisis, the country was at the verge of civil war and loss of independence, the people of Azerbaijan demanded to bring to power Heydar Aliyev. The then leaders of Azerbaijan were obliged to officially invite Heydar Aliyev to Baku. On 15 June 1993, Heydar Aliyev was elected as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, and on 24 July - on resolution of the Milli Mejlis, he managed to fulfill powers of the President of Azerbaijan Republic.
On October 3, 1993, as the result of nationwide voting, Heydar Aliyev was elected as the President of Azerbaijan Republic. On October 11, 1998, having garnered at the elections, passed in high activeness of the population, 76,1 percent of the votes, he was re-elected as the President of Azerbaijan Republic. Heydar Aliyev, giving his consent to be nominated as a candidate at the 15 October 2003 presidential elections, Heydar Aliyev relinquished to run at the elections in connection with health problems.
Heydar Aliyev was conferred a number of international awards, the title of honorary doctor of numerous countries, and other high honors. He was conferred for four times with the Lenin Order, the Order of Krasnaya Zvezda and many medals, and twice Hero of Socialist Labor, was awarded by Orders and medals of many foreign states.
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