Azerbaijan: Opposition to boycott April 11 election /update 1

Event

The National Council of Democratic Forces, a political opposition coalition, announced on February 6 that it will boycott the upcoming April 11 presidential election. Opposition leaders claim that the election was moved up to April 11 from October 17 to prevent the opposition from properly preparing for the vote. However, Ali Hasanov, the adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, said the election date was changed to avoid it interfering with “important domestic and international events later in the year.” Demonstrations against the new election date may take place in the coming weeks.

Context

President Aliyev issued a decree on February 5 bringing forward the date of the election. Aliyev will be running for his fourth term since coming to power in 2003 following his father's presidency. No other candidates have announced their intention to run as of February 9.

Advice

Individuals in Azerbaijan are advised to keep abreast of the situation and avoid all protests as a precaution.