[20081027]RS22977_阿塞拜疆2008年10月总统选举：结果和影响.pdf

1 European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission). Joint InterimOpinion on the Draft Amendments to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, March18, 2008.Order Code RS22977October 27, 2008Azerbaijans October 2008 PresidentialElection: Outcome and Implicationsname redactedSpecialist in Russian and Eurasian AffairsForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryThis report discusses the win by incumbent Ilkham Aliyev in Azerbaijans October15, 2008, presidential election. It describes the campaign and results, and examinesimplications for Azerbaijani and U.S. interests. This report will not be updated. Relatedreports include CRS Report RL33453, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, updatedregularly.IntroductionAfter achieving independence in 1991, Azerbaijan was convulsed by secessionismby its Nagorno Karabakh (NK) region, civil disorder, and a steep economic decline. Inrecent years, however, the exploitation of oil and natural gas resources has contributed toa rapidly growing economy, despite rising inflation and reported corruption. Progress indemocratization has been slow, according to the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other