BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 19. The upcoming presidential election will ensure further development of Azerbaijan, Milli Majlis (Parliament) MP Mahir Abbaszadeh told Trend.
Abbaszadeh highlighted that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev within 20 years, Azerbaijan has successfully implemented political reforms, fostered economic development, and achieved the growth of a non-oil economy.
"For 20 years of his presidency, Ilham Aliyev has fulfilled all the commitments he undertook to the Azerbaijani people," the MP said.
"Along with this, military advancements thrived with the establishment of a solid material-technical base and the acquisition of modern weaponry. Notable strides have been made in Azerbaijan concerning the development of the rule of law. President Ilham Aliyev has delivered on his commitments to IDPs, eliminating tent cities entirely and providing approximately 46,000 families (350,000 people) with new houses. Over the course of these 20 years, all socio-economic activities of IDPs have progressed, thanks to the unwavering attention and care of President Ilham Aliyev," Abbaszadeh added.
He noted that President Ilham Aliyev consistently emphasized that Azerbaijan would reclaim the territories occupied by Armenia at any cost. The President underscored the commitment to restoring the territorial integrity of the country and rebuilding the violated borders.
"Following the Second Karabakh War in 2020, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan successfully reclaimed occupied lands," he emphasized.
"The establishment of the Lachin border crossing in April 2023 played a key role in securing our territorial integrity and borders, which had been violated for 30 years. Azerbaijan's sovereignty was reinstated in September 2023 through brief localized anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh lasting only 23 hours. This concluded Armenian separatism within our country. To propel Azerbaijan's ongoing development, our people will cast their votes for President Ilham Aliyev," the MP added.
On December 7, 2023, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on holding an extraordinary presidential election in the country on February 7, 2024.
The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) on Dec. 19 approved the candidacy of Ilham Aliyev, nominated by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), for participation in the extraordinary presidential election.
A total of 17 candidates have been registered to run in the extraordinary presidential election. Azerbaijan has seven registered presidential candidates.