Azerbaijan's Ruling Party Dominates Snap Parliamentary Election

Azerbaijan's ruling party is set to retain its parliamentary majority in Sunday's snap election, the first since reclaiming the Karabakh territory last year. President Ilham Aliyev's party is projected to win 67 out of 125 seats, maintaining a similar hold as in the previous parliament.

In a significant political development, Azerbaijan's ruling party appears poised to maintain its parliamentary majority as per early results from Sunday's snap election. This vote marks the first electoral process since Azerbaijan's dramatic reclamation of the Karabakh territory a year ago.

President Ilham Aliyev's party is leading the count with 67 out of 125 parliamentary seats, based on 91% of the votes tallied, according to Central Election Commission chief Mazahir Panakhov. The results closely mirror the outgoing parliament's distribution, where the same party held 69 seats.

Over 2 million Azerbaijanis, a nation bordered by the Caspian Sea and Caucasus Mountains, participated in the election, resulting in a voter turnout of 37.3%. Exit polls suggest that additional seats are likely to be secured by independent candidates who, in reality, support the government and minor pro-government parties.

(With inputs from agencies.)