AZERBAIJAN HOLDING REFERENDUM TO GRANT ALIYEV THE RIGHT TO RUN FOR UNLIMITED TERMS
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2009 12:37 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan is holding a referendum on Wednesday
that is likely to give President Ilham Aliyev the chance to rule the
country for life despite opposition calls for a boycott.
In all, voters will decide on 41 amendments to 29 articles of
Azerbaijan’s constitution, touching on issues ranging from the right
to privacy to freedom of media. Amendments with a majority "yes"
vote will be adopted, provided that 25 percent of Azerbaijan’s more
than 4.9 million voters take part in the referendum.
Preliminary results will be known in 48 hours.
The Aliyev family has dominated the tightly controlled former Soviet
republic for decades, first under the late Heydar Aliyev as Communist
leader and president, then his son Ilham since 2003.
The ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party wants to lift the country’s
two-term presidential limit so 47-year-old Aliyev can keep running
for election after his second term ends in 2013.