Ali Asghar Muhammadi Sijanij
Versions of names:
Iran
Ali Asghar Muhammadi Sijanij observed Azerbaijan’s September 2024 snap parliamentary election as a member of the delegation of the OIC. Earlier, Ali Asghar Muhammadi Sijanij headed the observation mission of the OIC during Azerbaijan’s February 2024 presidential election. In 2008, Ali Asghar Muhammadi Sijanij became deputy secretary general of the OIC Member States Parliamentary Union. Before that, he was an important figure at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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.