Source:
https://scmp.com/news/world/article/1327269/azerbaijan-president-ilham-aliyev-set-crush-opponents-election
World

Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev set to crush opponents in election

Claims that Azerbaijan's president has used his power to illegally amass a fortune are unlikely to stop him winning a third term in oil-rich nation

Supporters attend the final election rally of the united opposition in Baku. Observers say they have no chance of winning. Photo: Reuters

Likened in leaked US diplomatic cables to the fictional Corleone mob family, Azerbaijan's ruling Aliyev dynasty now looks set to extend its grip over the oil-rich Caspian state into a third decade.

President Ilham Aliyev - who took over in 2003 after the death of his father, Heydar, a former KGB officer and communist-era boss - is the overwhelming favourite to win a third five-year term in today's elections.