Anatoly Shirokov

Versions of names: Анатолий Широков
Russia

Anatoly Shirokov, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, observed Azerbaijan’s September 2024 snap parliamentary election as a member of the SCO mission. He had already observed Azerbaijan’s February 2024 snap presidential election, also for the SCO rather than IPACIS. He serves in the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Milli Mejlis (parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Anatoly Shirokov observed elections on behalf of the SCO rather than the IPA-CIS since he allegedly resides in Magadan in the Russian Far East, and was appointed to the Federation Council on October 10, 2014, as a representative of this region. From December 2006 to October 2014, Anatoly Shirokov was the rector of the North-Eastern State University in Magadan. Anatoly Shirokov is deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs, and on December 11, 2018, he was appointed as Plenipotentiary Representative of the Federation Council on Issues of Development of the Far East, the Arctic, and Eastern Siberia.

Before his appointment to the Federation Council, Anatoly Shirokov was First Deputy Chairman of the Magadan Regional Duma and chairman of its Standing Committee on Regional Issues and Local Self-Government from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the ruling United Russia party and was the secretary of the Regional Political Council of its Magadan Regional Branch in 2010-2012.

Corresponding elections

Parliamentary Election Azerbaijan 2024
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.

Missions