In Azerbaijan, an Early Presidential Election May Portend Further Threats To Armenia

The re-election of Azerbaijan's president will clear the way for the country to continue pressuring Armenia to accept a peace deal under Baku's terms, and will keep alive the threat of further aggression. On Feb. 7, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev resoundingly won a snap presidential election after receiving over 90% of the vote, an all-time high. The election was held a year earlier than scheduled, presumably to enable Aliyev to capitalize on his popularity following Azerbaijan's seizure of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023, which effectively restored the country's internationally recognized border with Armenia. The election campaign was uneventful, with the main opposition groups again boycotting the vote as they have done for the past two presidential elections, while quasi-opposition candidates running alongside Aliyev praised his regime....