'Armenian-origin citizens' can vote in Azerbaijan's presidential election, CEC says

Voters of "Armenian origin"are eligible to cast ballots in the upcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov has said.

"All citizens of Azerbaijan, irrespective of their gender, residence or affiliation with national minorities, are entitled to equal rights," the Azerbaijani media quoted him as saying.

Panahov apparently referred to around two dozen elderly Armenian people left behind in Azeri-occupied Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

On December 7, 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree calling for an extraordinary presidential election in the country on 7 February 2024.

Seven candidates, including Ilham Aliyev, are running for president.