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Azerbaijan declared its independence from the former Soviet Union on August 30, 1991, with Ayaz Mutalibov, former First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Communist Party, becoming the country's first President. Following a massacre of Azerbaijanis at Khojali in Nagorno-Karabakh in March 1992, Mutalibov resigned and the country experienced a period of political instability. The old guard returned Mutalibov to power in May 1992, but less than a week later his efforts to suspend scheduled presidential elections and ban all political activity prompted the opposition Popular Front Party (PFP) to organize a resistance movement and take power. Among its reforms, the PFP dissolved the predominantly Communist Supreme Soviet and transferred its functions to the 50-member upper house of the legislature, the National Council.
Elections in June 1992 resulted in the selection of PFP leader Abulfez Elchibey as the country's second president. The PFP-dominated government, however, proved incapable of either credibly prosecuting the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or managing the economy, and many PFP officials came to be perceived as corrupt and incompetent. Growing discontent culminated in June 1993 in an armed insurrection in Ganja, Azerbaijan's second-largest city. As the rebels advanced virtually unopposed on Baky, President Elchibey fled to his native province of Nakhchivan. He died in 2000. The National Council conferred presidential powers upon its new Speaker, Heydar Aliyev, former First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Communist Party (1969-81) and later a member of the U.S.S.R. Politburo , the KGBFor other meanings, see KGB (disambiguation). The Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (or KGB ( Russian: ; English: Committee for State Security , was the name of the main Soviet Security Agency and intelligence agency, as well as the main secret police, and USSR Deputy Prime Minister (until 1987). Elchibey was formally deposed by a national referendum in August 1993, and Aliyev was elected to a 5-year term as President in October with only token opposition. Aliyev won re-election to another 5-year term in 1998, in an election marred by serious irregularities.
Azerbaijan's first Parliament was elected in 1995. The present 125-member unicameral Parliament was elected in November 2000 in an election that showed improvements in democratic processes, but still did not meet international standards as free and fair. A majority of parliamentarians are from the President's "New Azerbaijan Party." Opposition parties are represented in Parliament, but are suppressed and are not totally free to campaign before elections.
Azerbaijan has a strong presidential system in which the legislative and judicial branches have only limited independence.
The president is an absolute ruler. Demonstrations are often suppressed with violence, there are reports of torture and a strong censorship enables a personality cult. The Speaker of Parliament stood next in line to the President, but the constitution was changed at the end of 20022002 is a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). 2002 was the first palindromic year since 1991 and the last until 2112. 2002 was also designated: International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains National Science Year in the United Kingdom: now the premier is next in line. This was done to make it possible for the son of the 80-year old Heydar, Ilham AliyevIlham Aliyev Became President October 31, 2003 Predecessor Heydar Aliyev Date of Birth December 24, 1961 Place of Birth Baku Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev ( Azerbaijani: Ilham Heydr oglu liyev (born December 24, 1961) is the president of Azerbaijan for the New to succeed his father, who was admitted to a Turkish hospital on July 8July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. Events 1099 First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders mocked them., 20032003 is a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar), and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Summary Perhaps the defining global event of the year 2003 was the Invasion of Iraq launched by the U because of heart problems. In August, 20032003 is a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar), and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Summary Perhaps the defining global event of the year 2003 was the Invasion of Iraq launched by the U, Illham was appointed as premier, though Artur RasizadeArtur Tahir oglu Rasizade (born 1935) is the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan. He was Prime Minister from July 20, 1996 until August 4, 2003, when he resigned, ostensibly due to health reasons, enabling President Heydar Aliyev's son Ilham Aliyev to assume the, who had been prime minister since 1996, continued to fulfill the duties of that office so that Ilham could concentrate on his presidential election bid. In the October 2003 presidential electionsA presidential election was held in Azerbaijan on October 15 2003. As expected, Ilham Aliyev, son of the outgoing president, Heydar Aliyev, was easily elected in an election which international observers held not to be free or fair. Parties AMIP Azarbayca, Ilham won a landslide victory with several rivals, but none who had the power to defeat him. He was sworn in as president at the end of the month, and Rasizade became premier again. Heydar Aliyev died on December 12, 2003.