Ilyas Umakhanov
Versions of names:
Ilyas Umakhanov, currently the first deputy chairperson of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Science, Education, and Culture was mentioned as head of the observation mission of the Federation Council during Azerbaijan’s September 2024 snap parliamentary election, although another source says the mission was headed by Alexander Terentyev.Umakhanov is a member of the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Milli Mejlis (parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Earlier, Ilyas Umakhanov was the deputy chairperson of the Federation Council.
Corresponding elections
legitimate
In Azerbaijan's September 1, 2024, snap parliamentary election, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, narrowly maintained its majority with 68 out of 125 seats. Held early to avoid conflicting with COP29 in Baku, the election saw limited opposition with 44 seats won by "independents" broadly aligned with the regime. Voting extended to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time since 1994, underscoring Azerbaijan's control of the region. Despite a peaceful election day, international observers highlighted a lack of democratic standards, with low voter turnout (37%) and substantial restrictions on political freedoms, media access, and independent observation. The EPDE and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) criticized the election’s credibility, noting extensive repression of opposition and the presence of fake observers.