AZERBAIJAN VOTES ON SCRAPPING PRESIDENTIAL LIMITS

Agence France Presse
March 18 2009

BAKU (AFP) — Azerbaijan were voting Wednesday on a proposal to scrap
the two-term presidential limit, which if approved would pave the way
for President Ilham Aliyev to extend his family’s grip on power here.

Opposition groups in the oil-rich former Soviet republic called for a
boycott of the referendum, arguing that the vote was aimed at allowing
Aliyev to be president for life.

But analysts have said there is little doubt the proposed
constitutional amendments would be approved.

At polling stations in the capital Baku many voters said they
supported the move and credited Aliyev with steering the country
through a period of record economic growth.

The city has been transformed by a major building boom in recent years.

"I voted so that Ilham Aliyev may continue to be our president because
he has brought us stability," said Khatima Jabrailova, a 72-year-old
pensioner.

"I receive my pension and he has made our city beautiful."

But some opposed the move, saying the two-term limit should stand.

"I voted against this, there is no need to change our constitution,"
said Vugar Shabalov, a 21-year-old student.

"In a time when the whole world is in economic crisis, we should not
be spending money on this referendum."

Aliyev, 47, won a second five-year term by a landslide last October,
consolidating nearly four decades of his family’s rule over the
country.

Aliyev’s father, Heydar, was a Soviet-era leader of Azerbaijan and
president for 10 years after the country won independence in 1991.

The younger Aliyev was elected to replace his father shortly before
the 80-year-old’s death in 2003.

Supporters of the changes say they are aimed at making Azerbaijan
more democratic by allowing voters to choose whoever they wish to
be president.

But government critics, who have long accused Aliyev — and his father
before him — of having ruthlessly held on to power, say the vote is
aimed at allowing the president to extend his rule indefinitely.

Many of Azerbaijan’s main opposition groups have called for voters
to stay home Wednesday.

They have accused the authorities of preparing to fix the vote, of
harassing opposition campaigners and using government control of the
media to dominate the debate.

Despite the opposition’s objections however, the referendum has drawn
little criticism from the United States or European countries.

Azerbaijan’s opposition accuse Western governments of shying away
from criticising Aliyev to secure access to Azerbaijan’s vast Caspian
Sea oil and gas reserves. The West also wants influence over energy
transit routes to Europe bypassing Russia, says the opposition.

The proposed amendments would also postpone presidential and
parliamentary elections in the event of war.

Despite a ceasefire, Azerbaijan remains locked in a simmering conflict
with neighbouring Armenia over the breakaway Azerbaijani region of
Nagorny Karabakh, which Aliyev has vowed to retake.

Dozens of other constitutional changes are included in the referendum,
such as restrictions on photographing, videotaping or recording people
without their permission — and a prohibition on showing "disrespect"
to "state symbols" and increased state oversight of local governments.

Polling stations across the mainly Muslim country of 8.7 million people
opened at 8:00 am (0400 GMT) and were to close at 7:00 pm (1500 GMT).

The Central Election Commission is due to begin releasing results
shortly after polls close.