On May 28, 1918, the people of Azerbaijan, with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence declaring the independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, it created its first democratic and secular state in the Muslim world with a parliamentary form of government.
In a short period, the republic made great strides in building an independent, democratic state, creating the first parliament and government, state apparatus and governing institutions, adopting the national flag, anthem and emblem.
Guided by the principles of democracy and equality from the very first days of its existence, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic eliminated racial, ethnic, religious and class inequalities by granting all citizens of the country the same rights. For the first time in the East and long before some European countries, women were granted the right to vote in Azerbaijan.
On April 28, 1920, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was invaded and after approximately 70 years, Azerbaijan gained its independence it declared itself the political and legal successor of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, on October 18, 1991.
National leader Heydar Aliyev, who had great political experience, came to power in 1993 at the demand of the people, which was a turning point in the history of statehood in modern Azerbaijan. As a result of the wise policy of the national leader, the fully removal of Azerbaijan from the world political map was prevented, social and political stability and civil solidarity were ensured.
In the first years of independence, the implementation of political and legal reforms, the holding of the first parliamentary elections and the adoption of the first Constitution on the basis of a referendum, the elimination of censorship on the mass media and other steps gave impetus to the establishment of a political system based on pluralism and the confident progress of Azerbaijan on the path of democratic development.
Azerbaijan has become stronger, gained a high politically, economically, and militarily reputation in the world and achieved great development and stability as a result of the socio-economic policy which successfully continued by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
As a result of the pragmatic foreign policy carried out by the leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan, relations between Azerbaijan and the world countries are being successfully developed in a bilateral and multilateral format. Azerbaijan's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2012-2013 with the support of 155 countries, and its successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, the largest international institution after the UN, in 2019-2023 are the successful results of a visionary and purposeful foreign policy. The unanimous decision is a clear indicator of the respect and trust in Azerbaijan by the international community, regarding the holding of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and the 6th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, which is one of the most prestigious international events in the world.
Due to the fact that the COP29, which will be held in Azerbaijan in November 2024, coincides with the parliamentary elections, the time of the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan has been changed.
In this regard, on June 28, 2024, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev signed the Decree on the dissolution of the sixth convocation of the Milli Majlis and the appointment of snap elections to the Milli Majlis. According to the decree, the sixth convocation of the Milli Majlis was released and early elections were scheduled for September 1.
The next extraordinary parliamentary elections to be held in Azerbaijan have a special significance for both Azerbaijan and the region. With a 44-day Patriotic War and a one-day anti-terrorist operation, Azerbaijan ended the nearly 30-year occupation, restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and created new realities both in the South Caucasus and in the world. The most important aspect of these elections is that after gaining independence, parliamentary elections will be held in all territories of Azerbaijan for the first time in more than 30 years.
125 deputies are expected to be elected in the snap parliamentary elections which will be held in the Azerbaijan Milli Majlis, and 991 people have been registered as candidates for deputies.
A total of 321 international observers from 46 countries and 39 institutions, as well as 93,964 local observers, have been registered for the snap parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, scheduled for September 1, 2024.
Projects of various formats have been implemented in order to provide assistance to the free activity of election participants of different statuses, to provide comprehensive favorable conditions and wide opportunities. "Election-2024" Independent Media Center, which has started its activities in connection with the upcoming elections, is one of the projects of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan in this category.
The establishment of the Independent Media Center is one of the successful practices that have been regularly carried out for many years and have been proven effective.
The main goal of the project is to provide wider opportunities to local and international media representatives, who play an important role in ensuring a high level of openness and transparency in elections. The Independent Media Center will assist representatives of local and foreign media in providing comprehensive, timely, and objective coverage of the upcoming elections, including receiving information and immediately disseminating it. Members of the media can freely use the center, which is fully equipped with state-of-the-art information and communication technologies and necessary technical equipment.
