Top cleric urges Azerbaijanis to vote for Aliyev in October election
By Sabina Idayatova
Azerbaijan's highest Muslim cleric has urged citizens of the country to vote for incumbent Ilham Aliyev in next month's presidential election.
Sheikh-ul Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazada, who heads the Baku-based Board of Muslims of the Caucasus, said that the Caspian Sea nation's Muslim population will support Aliyev in the election planned for October 9.
"Every believer in Azerbaijan is proud to have a president like Ilham Aliyev," Pashazada said at a religious conference held in Baku on September 19. "Many mosques are being reconstructed in Baku and the regions of the republic. Azerbaijan's largest mosque is under construction at the moment. All religious festivals are held at the highest possible level. There are no obstacles to the performance of religious rituals. This is reflective of the president's attitude to religion and religious figures."
Campaigning for the presidency started on September 16 with Aliyev seeking a third term in office. Aliyev, who has overseen a tripling of the economy in the past decade, is likely to win.
Over 89 percent of voters support Aliyev, according to a recent poll conducted by the NGO Partnership Alliance in six regions of the country.
Of the polled, 89.32 percent said they would vote for Aliyev, while 8 percent expressed support for Jamil Hasanli, the main opposition candidate representing the National Council of Democratic Forces, an opposition alliance.
Pashazada said Azerbaijan's international standing has improved under President Aliyev.
"Azerbaijan holds a position where [other nations] cannot but reckon with it," he said.
The country has also grown economically, turning into a lender from a borrower of foreign loans, Pashazada said.
The top cleric also praised First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for helping the needy.
"People appeal to the first lady and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to help resolve their problems," he said.