Aliyev’s anniversary present for wife was appointment as VP: Washington Post weighs in on latest Azerbaijan “dynastic rule” development

The Washington Post weighed in on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev appointing his wife as Vice President of the country.

“This year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offered his wife a special anniversary present — he appointed her rst vice president”, the Washington Post said in the beginning of the article. Amanda Erickson, author of the article, said In that position, she will succeed her husband if he steps down.

“Aliyev announced that Mehriban Aliyeva, 52, would step into a role created last fall by constitutional referendum. In that position, she will succeed her husband if he steps down. She will also likely oversee the country’s cabinet. (The constitutional amendments approved in the referendum also stretched the presidential term from ve to seven years, after a 2009 referendum abolished term-limits in the former Soviet republic. And they ditched the age requirement for president, paving the way for the Aliyevs’ 19-year-old son to run), Erickson wrote.

“Mehriban Aliyeva was born into one of the country’s wealthiest families, the Pashayevs. The clan controls several banks, insurance companies, construction, travel, and Azerbaijan’s only Bentley dealership. Several relatives hold top government posts. She is famous (or infamous) for her love of luxury, her meticulous appearance and her stylish dress. In leaked American diplomatic cables, diplomats suggested that Aliyeva had problems showing a “full range of facial expression” because of “substantial cosmetic surgery.”

They also wrote that she was poorly informed about political issues. Opposition leaders don’t think Aliyeva’s talents got her the job. The Aliyevs, they say, run their country like a efdom, getting rich off Azerbaijan’s energy reserves. Now they’re trying to consolidate dynastic rule, critics say. “This appointment shows disrespect to the people,” Ali Kerimli, leader of one of Azerbaijan’s opposition parties, told Reuters.

“It’s the rst step to the establishment of an absolute monarchy in the country”,, the article said. In conclusion, the Washington Post said “the country has also earned a reputation for repressive political tactics, curbing free expression and preventing fair elections. Just days before Aliyev announced the appointment of his wife, activists from the opposition party were detained and jailed.”