Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on holding early presidential elections on February 7, 2024. Originally votes for the next presidential elections were scheduled to be held in 2025, but following the presidential decree it was rescheduled by moving back to 2024. Despite having no further details about the reason, it is technically explained that if two elections are held in the fall of 2025, the next presidential election is only 3-4 months away, which may cause a bit of distress among voters. So holding elections in February 2024 looks more convenient from a time perspective.
In a comment to Azernews on the issue, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan noted that Azerbaijan was the first functional democracy in the entire Muslim World and since its independence it has been implementing numerous structural reforms to achieve the optimal levels of politicization and democratization in its country. He said that due to which it has now been dubbed as the best country with having true spirits of the most liberalized democracy which has been achieving the desired goals of good governance, immense social development, economic stability and sustainability, and above all protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The announcement of holding a snap presidential election vividly reflects the supreme political wisdom of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Undoubtedly he is enjoying the highest level of popularity in the country which has further enhanced after the liberation of the Garabagh economic region. Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev has also succeeded in eradicating all aliens from the newly liberated areas through an indigenous operation which has made him a larger-than-life personality in the country. Socio-economically and geopolitically Azerbaijan has become a connecting hub of trans-regional connectivity and human wisdom and therefore keeping in view all the X-factors of successful electioneering pertaining to a national narrative, strong economy, vibrant society and harmonious political system the Azerbaijani President Ilham took a right decision in right direction to hold snap election,” Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan said.
He pointed out that obviously, President Ilham Aliyev will have the brightest chance of winning the snap presidential elections to be held on February 7, 2024. He initiated comprehensive economic structural reforms pertaining to digitalization, industrialization, diversification, green transformation and trans-regional connectivity to further strengthen Azerbaijan’s macro economy which will definitely provide massive political support in the upcoming presidential election in the country.
“Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliey (20 years), the GDP of the non-oil sector has grown 3.4 times showing the success of diversification of the macro-economy. Azerbaijan’s foreign exchange reserves have grown more than 47 times exceeding $66 billion, and are currently 10 times greater than our direct external debt reflecting the export orientation of its national economy. More than 2.5 million new jobs have been generated in the country enabling to reduce of poverty. Its GDP estimation is 6.3 percent which is the highest in the South Caucasus,” Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan noted.
He added that the future of Azerbaijan belongs to peace, progress, prosperity and peaceful persuasions of greater regional connectivity, socio-economic integration and optimal utility of the Middle Corridor and certainly economic achievements of his government will attract more and more votes in the snap presidential elections 2024. Ul Hassan Khan noted that at the moment more than 250 foreign-invested enterprises representing 75 states function in the industry field, and thousands of workplaces have been opened. 74 percent of investments made in the national economy in 2003 were directed just to the industrial fields.
“It was indeed the start of joint ventures (‘open door’ policy that was founded by nationwide leader and is implemented at the present day, the number of foreign and joint ventures increased 3 times during these years. It is instrumented in the transfer of technologies. It is crystal clear that the socio-economic achievements of President Ilham Aliyev will catalyst extraordinary political support of the people in the upcoming elections 2024,” the Pundit said.
Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan stressed that the snap presidential elections in 2024 will further strengthen the macro-economy and will give new imputes to Azerbaijan’s pragmatic foreign policy, and foreign direct investments, and above all it will give continuity and stability in the country. The continuation of the democratic setup in the country in terms of Ilham Aliyev’s presidency will further foster socio-economic development, industrialization, and digitalization.
“The success of Ilham Aliyev would be a game and fate changer in the political history of Azerbaijan producing immense euphoria of pure nationalism embodied with multiculturalism and geo-economics. Hopefully, the Republic of Azerbaijan would be more prosperous, progressive and productive after the success of Ilham Aliyev which would have a positive impact on the geo-economics and geopolitics of the region and beyond,” Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan concluded.
