New Azerbaijan Party

New Azerbaijan Party
Leader Ilham Aliyev
(since 31 October 2003)
Founder Heydar Aliyev
Founded December 18, 1992 (1992-12-18)
Headquarters Bülbül prospekti 13,
Baku, Azerbaijan
Ideology Azerbaijani nationalism
Colours Blue, yellow, white
Parliament:
69 / 125
Website
Official Web Site
(Azerbaijani) (English)

The New Azerbaijan Party (Azerbaijani: Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası, YAP) is the ruling political party in Azerbaijan. It was formed on 18 December 1992 by the former President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, who led it until his death in 2003.[1] It is now led by his son, Ilham Aliyev, who succeeded his father as the party leader and as President of Azerbaijan since 2003.

Ideology

The New Azerbaijan Party has been described as a post-Soviet party of power.[2] Political scientists have stated that the party is loosely based on nationalism and a personality cult centered on Heydar Aliyev, and lacks a true political ideology.[3]

The party's stated ideologies are lawfulness, secularism, and Azerbaijani nationalism. It wants to build a "social-oriented" economy, and lists civil solidarity and social justice as the basis of its ideology.[4] The founder of the party, Heydar Aliyev, was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union until July 1991.[5]

The main contention between the ruling New Azerbaijan Party and the opposition can actually be seen as a power struggle between the old Soviet elite, which still controls Azerbaijan, and the new intelligentsia that has long-opposed Soviet institutions.[6]

The New Azerbaijan Party under Heydar Aliyev was conservative, including when it came to the culture and religion of Azerbaijan. The New Azerbaijan Party has always been one of the main, if not the most important aspect, in organizing the country in an effective way that left no place to question the Party in charge.

Electoral history

At the elections (5 November 2000 and 7 January 2001), the party won 62.3% of the popular vote and 75 out of 125 seats. Its candidate Ilham Aliyev was reported by the government to have won 80% of the popular vote in the 2003 presidential elections, which faced criticism of vote-rigging from groups such as Human Rights Watch. At the 2005 parliamentary elections, it won 62 out of 125 seats. At the 2010 parliamentary elections, it won 72 out of 125 seats. Presently, New Azerbaijan Party has 518,000 members.[7] In the November 1, 2015, Parliament Election, the New Azerbaijan Party won 70 out of 125 seats, thus losing 2 seats in the National Assembly since the last election.

New Azerbaijan Party's head office in Baku.

Election results

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1995-1996 2,228,435 62.7
59 / 125
 Steady Steady 1st In Government
2000-2001 1,809,801 62.3
75 / 125
 Increase 16 Steady 1st Majority gov't
2005
61 / 125
 Decrease 14 Steady 1st Majority gov't
2010 1,104,528 45.8
72 / 125
 Increase 11 Steady 1st Majority gov't
2015
70 / 125
 Decrease 2 Steady 1st Majority gov't

References

  1. ↑ Ruling Party Sees Victory in Azeri Vote
  2. ↑ Herron, Erik. "Elections and Democracy After Communism?" Palgrave Macmillan, May 26, 2009. (p. 86-87)
  3. ↑ Guliyev, Farid; Pearce, Katy E. The Challenges of Electoral Competition in an Oil Rich State: Azerbaijani Pre-Election Report Washington Post. October 6, 2013. Accessed July 2, 2014
  4. ↑ "History". New Azerbaijan Party.
  5. ↑ "Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev". New Azerbaijan Party.
  6. ↑ Joël Krieger, Margaret E. Crahan. The Oxford companion to politics of the world. Oxford University Press. p. 59.
  7. ↑ Ruling New Azerbaijan Party will mark membership of 500,000th person

Further reading

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