Sitara Ayaz
Versions of names:
Pakistan
Sitara Ayaz observed Azerbaijan’s September 2024 snap parliamentary election as a member of the mission of the IPC, where she serves as secretary general. Sitara Ayaz is a member of the Awami National Party in Pakistan and has been a member of the Senate of Pakistan from March 2015 to March 2021, representing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. While other representatives of the IPC observed and praised Azerbaijan’s February 2024 snap presidential election, Sitara Ayaz herself observed the presidential election in Russia in March 2024.
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.