"Early results show Azerbaijan president keeps seat" Associated Press, October 10, 2013
BAKU, Azerbaijan — Azerbaijan’s president won a third five-year term by a landslide in Wednesday’s election, according to preliminary results, extending decades of dynastic rule in the oil-rich Caspian Sea nation allied with the West.
An opposition challenger quickly protested what he described as widespread vote-rigging.
With 72 percent of precincts counted, Ilham Aliyev was leading the field with nearly 85 percent of the vote, said the Central Election Commission chief, Mazahir Panahov.
The main opposition candidate, historian Jamil Hasanli, had about 5 percent of the vote, followed by eight other contenders. Full preliminary results are expected Thursday.
Exit polls had shown similar figures, prompting Aliyev’s campaign chief, Ali Ahmadov, to quickly claim victory. ‘‘Ilham Aliyev has unconditional support of the population,’’ Ahmadov said.
In a statement after the election, Hasanli condemned what he called ‘‘total falsification and rude trampling on the people’s rights.’’
‘‘Already now the legitimacy of the election can be called into question,’’ he said.
Earlier in the day, Hasanli said his supporters registered cases of ballot stuffing at polling stations. ‘‘Regrettably, many government officials are involved in falsification, becoming accomplices of a grave crime,’’ he said.
The Central Election Commission chief insisted that the vote was clean. International election monitors are expected to issue their report Thursday.
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