Azerbaijani political party
The New Azerbaijan Party (Azerbaijani: Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası, YAP) is the ruling political party in Azerbaijan, founded on 21 November 1992 under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev. After his election as President of Azerbaijan on 3 October 1993, and the party's victory at 1995 parliamentary elections, YAP became the ruling party, a position it has held since. President Ilham Aliyev has been chairman of YAP since its 3rd congress held on 26 March 2005.
YAP is a member of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP)[5] and an observer member of the Centrist Democrat International.[6]
The party's rule over the country has been described as authoritarian.[7]
Ideology
The party's stated ideologies are lawfulness, secularism, and Azerbaijani nationalism. It wants to build a "social-oriented" economy, and lists civil solidarity and social justice as the basis of its ideology.[8] The founder of the party, Heydar Aliyev, was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union until July 1991.[9]
The New Azerbaijan Party's program highlights the main tasks which it states is aimed at strengthening the state independency, building the democratic, legal and secular state and ensuring the peaceful and prosperous life of the citizens. The principles of an independent state, lawfulness, creative progress, Azerbaijanism, civil solidarity and social justice have been declared as the basis of the party's ideology.[10]
Rights
The members of party are ensured with following rights:
- to elect and to be elected to authorities of the party;
- to take part freely in the determination of the party's policy and in the discussion of issues related to its activities;
- to participate in the events organized by the party
- to make suggestions for realizing the goals and tasks of the party;
- to use the party's support;
- to discuss and criticize freely all issues related to the party's policy as well as all activities of its bodies;
- to stop being membership in the party or to leave the party.[11]
Electoral history
At the elections (5 November 2000 and 7 January 2001), the party won 62.3% of the popular vote and 75 out of 125 seats. Its candidate Ilham Aliyev was reported by the government to have won 76,84% of the popular vote in the 2003 presidential elections. Ilham Aliyev also won presidential elections of 2008, 2013 and 2018. At the 2005 parliamentary elections, it won 62 out of 125 seats. At the 2010 parliamentary elections, it won 72 out of 125 seats. In the 1 November 2015 parliamentary election, the New Azerbaijan Party won 70 out of 125 seats, thus losing two seats in the National Assembly since the last election.
Presidential elections
| Election
|
Party candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
Result
|
| 1993
|
Heydar Aliyev
|
3,919,923
|
98.8%
|
Elected  Y
|
| 1998
|
2,556,059
|
77.6%
|
Elected Y
|
| 2003
|
Ilham Aliyev
|
1,860,346
|
75.38%
|
Elected Y
|
| 2008
|
3,232,259
|
87.34%
|
Elected Y
|
| 2013
|
3,126,113
|
84.54%
|
Elected Y
|
| 2018
|
3,394,898
|
86.02%
|
Elected Y
|
National Assembly elections
| Election
|
Votes
|
%
|
Seats
|
+/–
|
Position
|
Government
|
| 1995–1996
|
2,228,435
|
62.7
|
|
 53
|
1st
|
In Government
|
| 2000–2001
|
1,809,801
|
62.3
|
|
25
|
 1st
|
Majority gov't
|
| 2005
|
|
|
|
 15
|
1st
|
Majority gov't
|
| 2010
|
1,104,528
|
45.8
|
|
8
|
1st
|
Majority gov't
|
| 2015
|
|
|
|
1
|
1st
|
Majority gov't
|
| 2020
|
|
|
|
2
|
1st
|
Majority gov't
|
