Exploring Azerbaijan's Political Past And Present: Communist Or Not?

Azerbaijan is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia with a long history of invasions, migration, and cultural and political influences. After nearly two centuries of Russian rule, Azerbaijani nationalists fell out with the new Bolshevik government in 1917, declaring independence in 1918. However, the country was taken over by the Red Army in 1920, marking the start of the Soviet Occupation, which lasted until 1991. During this period, Azerbaijan was a communist country, with the Azerbaijan Communist Party as the ruling political party. The country experienced strict control, forced collectivization, Stalinist purges, and extensive repressions. Today, Azerbaijan is no longer a communist country, having declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. However, it continues to struggle with authoritarian tendencies, human rights issues, and the lingering influence of its communist past.

Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union

Azerbaijan is not a communist country. It is a unitary semi-presidential republic.

Azerbaijan was a part of the Soviet Union from 1922 until its independence in 1991. The country was previously known as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, or Azerbaijan SSR, and was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union.

The Azerbaijan Communist Party was the ruling political party in the Azerbaijan SSR, making it effectively a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Communist Party of Azerbaijan was formed on 20 February 1920, and the country was incorporated into the Soviet Union in December 1922.

On 5 February 1991, the Azerbaijan SSR was renamed the Republic of Azerbaijan. The country officially declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 30 August 1991, and the Communist Party of Azerbaijan was formally disbanded on 14 September 1991.

The modern Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which took place on 26 December 1991. Azerbaijan's independence was recognised by Turkey, Israel, Romania, Pakistan, and the United States.

The early years of independence were overshadowed by the First Nagorno-Karabakh war with the ethnic Armenian majority of Nagorno-Karabakh, backed by Armenia. By the end of the hostilities in 1994, Armenians controlled 14–16 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has since redefined itself as a major regional energy player, using its energy revenues to create a government-run fund involved in international projects. The country has also used its resources to rebuild its army, which is seen as a government priority due to ongoing tensions with the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Azerbaijan Communist Party

Azerbaijan is not currently a communist country. However, it has a long history of communist rule, with the Azerbaijan Communist Party (AzKP) being the ruling political party in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) from 1920 until 1991.

History of the Azerbaijan Communist Party

During its time in power, the Azerbaijan Communist Party, led by M. J. Baghirov, oversaw forced collectivization, Stalinist purges, and extensive repressions. In the 1940s, as the Soviet Union worked to "cleanse" its borders, more than 100,000 people from various ethnic backgrounds were deported from Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia to Kazakhstan and Siberia.

The Fall of the Azerbaijan Communist Party

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Soviet Union's influence in Azerbaijan began to wane, and in January 1990, they violently crushed pro-independence protests in Baku, resulting in the deaths of 133 civilians. Azerbaijan eventually regained its independence from the Soviet Union on 30 August 1991, bringing an end to communist rule in the country. The Communist Party of Azerbaijan was formally disbanded on 14 September 1991, but its influence did not end there.

The Communist Party's Post-Disbandment Influence

Even after its disbandment, former leaders and members of the Communist Party continued to play a role in Azerbaijan's political system, which remained family- and patronage-based. In the first multi-party elections held in Azerbaijan on 30 September and 14 October 1990, the Communist Party won 280 out of 360 seats in the Supreme Soviet.

In 1993, a new Azerbaijan Communist Party (AzKP) was established by Ramiz Ahmadov. This new party was registered by the Justice Ministry in 1994 and became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (2001). While this new party criticized US politics in the region and opposed Azeri participation in the Iraq War, it also supported the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party's candidate, Ilham Aliyev, in the 2008 presidential election.

Today, Azerbaijan continues to grapple with its communist past, and while it is no longer a communist country, it remains a weak democracy with some authoritarian tendencies.

The Aliyev family's role in politics

Azerbaijan has been dominated by the Aliyev family since 1969. Heydar Aliyev, an ex-KGB officer, was a high-ranking official in the KGB of the Azerbaijan SSR, serving for 28 years in Soviet state security organs (1941–1969). He rose through the ranks due to his close associations with Leonid Brezhnev and Yuri Andropov.

Heydar Aliyev was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party in 1969, a role he held until 1982. He was then promoted to First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union, serving from 1982 to 1987. Aliyev became president of Azerbaijan after the 1993 military coup ousted President Abulfaz Elchibey. Aliyev's installation as president put an end to Azerbaijan's short post-independence democratic interlude.

Heydar Aliyev's son, Ilham Aliyev, became president in 2003, taking over from his father. Ilham was appointed prime minister in August 2003, and then elected president in October of the same year. He has since been re-elected four times, in 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2024.

The Aliyev family has been accused of enriching themselves through their ties to state-run businesses. They own significant parts of several major Azerbaijani banks, construction firms, and telecommunications firms, and partially own the country's oil and gas industries. Much of the wealth is hidden through an elaborate network of offshore companies.

Ilham Aliyev has been described as a dictator, leading an authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan. Elections are not free and fair, political power is concentrated in the hands of Aliyev and his extended family, corruption is rampant, and human rights violations are severe.

The country's weak democracy

Azerbaijan is not a communist country. However, it was once a part of the Soviet Union and was ruled by the Azerbaijan Communist Party until 1991.

Azerbaijan's democracy is weak and has been described as a one-party dominant state. The country has been ruled by the Aliyev family since 1969, with power currently concentrated in the hands of President Ilham Aliyev and his extended family. Elections are neither free nor fair, and the ruling New Azerbaijan Party controls all the electoral commissions in the country. The formal political opposition has been weakened by years of persecution, and civil liberties have been restricted.

Azerbaijan's democracy is further weakened by widespread corruption, human rights abuses, and the suppression of political opponents and civil rights. The country has a history of persecuting and jailing political opponents, human rights activists, and independent journalists. The government has also been accused of using arbitrary prosecutions and bogus criminal charges to silence dissent.

Additionally, the country's political system is authoritarian, with executive power concentrated in the presidency. While there are checks and balances in place, with the legislature and judiciary meant to provide oversight, these institutions are firmly controlled by the executive branch.

The weak democracy in Azerbaijan has resulted in a depoliticized population, with many citizens disengaged from the political process. However, small opposition parties, such as the national-conservative Popular Front Party, the pan-Turkist Musavat, and the Shia Islamist Muslim Unity Movement, still maintain committed followings despite facing heavy suppression.

The country's recent history of conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has also contributed to its weak democracy. The conflict has led to widespread ethnic cleansing, population transfers, and the displacement of over a million people. The status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains a defining political issue in Azerbaijan, and the government has used it to distract from domestic issues and consolidate power.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijan is not a communist country. It declared its independence from the former Soviet Union on 30 August 1991, and is now a semi-presidential republic. However, it does have a history of communism, and its politics have been dominated by the Aliyev family since 1969.

Now, here is a detailed overview of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict:

Amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1988-1991, tensions escalated into a full-scale war, known as the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The war resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands on both sides. Armenia and the self-declared Republic of Artsakh gained control of Nagorno-Karabakh and occupied approximately 20% of Azerbaijan's territory. A Russian-brokered ceasefire, known as the Bishkek Protocol, was signed in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh de facto independent but heavily reliant on Armenia.

Despite the ceasefire, intermittent clashes and violations continued to occur along the border. In April 2016, intense fighting along the line of separation resulted in hundreds of casualties. Then, in September 2020, large-scale fighting resumed, known as the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. This conflict resulted in thousands of casualties and a significant Azerbaijani victory. A tripartite ceasefire agreement was reached in November 2020, with Russia's mediation, leading to a temporary peace.

Azerbaijan regained control of the seven districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and captured a significant portion of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. A Russian peacekeeping force was deployed to monitor the ceasefire and ensure safe passage through the Lachin corridor, connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. However, tensions remained high, with periodic violations of the ceasefire agreement.

In December 2022, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh, severely impacting the region's population by blocking the import of food, fuel, and medicine. This led to a humanitarian crisis, with widespread shortages and unemployment. Azerbaijan also cut off critical civilian infrastructure, including gas, electricity, and the internet.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in another ceasefire agreement and the disarmament of Armenian separatists. The ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh was officially dissolved on 1 January 2024, and Azerbaijan began the process of reintegrating" the region and its remaining population. The conflict has had a profound impact on the region, with thousands of lives lost and displaced, and ongoing efforts for peace and reconciliation.

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