Azerbaijan's ruling party announces Aliyev's electoral victory
BAKU. April 11 (Interfax) - Exit polls indicate a landslide victory for incumbent Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the early presidential election, Ali Akhmedov, deputy prime minister and executive secretary of the party Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan), said.
"According to exit polls, Aliyev has received over 80% of the vote in the election. It means Aliyev will achieve a landslide victory in the presidential election," Akhmedov said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Economic diversification will continue during Aliyev's seven-year term, he said. "It will be a new stage of Azerbaijan's development, new state programs will be prepared, and Azerbaijan's international standing will be strengthened," Akhmedov said.
There are eight candidates in this election: incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, Zakhid Oruj, Araz Alizade, Gudrat Gasanguliyev, Faraj Guliyev, Khafiz Gadzhiyev, Razi Nurullayev, and Sardar Dzhalaloglu.
According to an exit poll conducted by Arthur Finkelstein & Associates, self-nominee Zakhid Oruj has gotten 2.92% of vote (3.37% according to Els, and 2.92% according to Opinion Way) and Democratic Party candidate Sardar Dzhalaloglu has gotten 2.48% (3.56% - Els, 2.81% - Opinion Way).
According to an exit poll conducted by Arthur Finkelstein & Associates, Khafiz Gadzhiyev has gotten 1.76% (2.1% - Els, 1.73% - Opinion Way), Faraj Guliyev 1.52% (1.33% - Els, 1.03% - Opinion Way), Gudrat Gasanguliyev 2.96% (4.23% - Els, 3.1% - Opinion Way), Razi Nurullayev 1.37% (0.92% - Els, 0.67% - Opinion Way), and Araz Alizade 1.42% (1.87% - Els, 1.21% - Opinion Way).
According to the CEC, voter turnout was 74.5%.
Aliyev has been president since 2003. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2013.
According to changes made to the Azerbaijani Constitution in 2016, the president is elected for seven years.