Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections in November 2005 became an arena where domestic and
international actors jostled for influence and control. This book highlights the role of
international observers in the election process and presents in-depth assessments of the pre-
and post-election situation in Azerbaijan. The 2005 parliamentary elections are of special
interest for several reasons. First oil-rich Azerbaijan offers interesting insights on the
relationship between energy wealth and democratisation. Second the elections in Azerbaijan
received considerable international attention. They were seen as a test case of whether the
wave of regime change that had affected Georgia Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan would spread to other
countries in the region. Third for the first time a large number of Russian observers served
within the Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation
mission. Finally the case of Azerbaijan also highlights the methodological and technical
aspects of election observation. Among other things there was extensive - and arguably
problematic - use of exit polls. Contents: Leila Alieva on the 2005 international observation
mission - Ulvi Amirbekov on the institutional framework - Zafar Guliev on democratic
expectations versus the reality of imitation - Zardusht Alizade on the elections as a mirror of
Azeri politics and society - Rustam Seyidov on the post-election situation - Torgrul Juvarly
and Ali Abasov on economic implications of the elections.
