Expectations ahead of parliamentary election in Azerbaijan are grim: Interview with an independent candidate

“This is the last election we can participate in”

Originally published on Global Voices

Vafa Nagi, 41, is a political and civic activist and feminist from Neftchala administrative district in Azerbaijan. In 2019, Nagi went against all the odds, and ran for the municipal elections in her native village of Holqaraqashli. She was threatened, intimidated, and pressured to drop out of the race by the head of the municipality who has been there for 17 years. The village residents were also doubtful — what was a young woman doing running for a municipality, when there were men to do that job? She was elected regardless. Five years later Nagi is once again on the streets of her village, this time, trying to convince voters to come to the polls in the snap parliamentary election scheduled for September 1. Global Voices interviewed Nagi by phone, ahead of the snap parliamentary election.

Global Voices (GV): Vafa this is not your first election. What has changed if anything since 2019?

Vafa Nagi (VN): This election is going to be much tougher due to the current environment in the country. If, earlier, independent candidates could run in elections, this is no longer the case. For instance, in Neftcala, there are 10 candidates in total running in this election — all independent, but they are not, as they all have been pre-approved. Most of these candidates are employed in government jobs and have no interest in the election. They have been appointed to divide the votes. If I were the only independent candidate then my chances of receiving the votes would be higher.

Politically the environment is also tougher. The country has been fully militarized; when you walk on the streets, or walk into a shop, or visit a school, you see one type of propaganda narrative — militarization. President İlham Aliyev emerged as the hero of the nation after the Second Karabakh War, and hailed as the leader who returned Karabakh. As such, his image cannot be damaged at any cost, and the state propaganda is used to keep this image for as long as it is possible within the militaristic narrative.

There is no room for criticism. In fact, there is no tolerance for criticism.

GV: So given such a challenging environment, what are your expectations?

VN: I know I won't be elected. And I am aware that my rival from the same village is a government favorite, because her husband is currently a member of the parliament.

So instead, I hope for people to vote regardless of whether or not I get elected because it would help to prevent fraud. This is why I am running in this election — to do what I can — expose the fraud and, in the best case scenario, cancel the election results and have a recount.

GV: What is your campaign focused on?

VN: Social assistance, unemployment, lack of water access, land distribution, and addressing challenges faced by the youth.

These are the most commonly voiced issues by the village residents. There are village residents who have been unable to receive any social assistance from the state, because they have a small plot of land and as such do not qualify for any state assistance. But when you visit their homes, see the conditions they live in, and hear their concerns like not having enough food and not knowing what the next day is going to bring, it is really sad.

Unemployment is also high —- so many young people are unemployed because they cannot find jobs even those who have been educated and have diplomas. And they are ready to take any job, for very little money, because they don’t have any other alternatives.

There is also lack of access to water, which creates shortages and adds an additional level of challenges to the people who already struggle as a result of difficult living conditions.

It is really hard to explain. People generally are aware that life in villages and beyond is harder than in the capital, but during the campaign I realized just how much worse things were.

GV: What are people’s expectations from this election?

VN:The question I get asked the most is whether I will be able to protect their votes if they show up on the day of the election. I then have to explain to them that there are 49 precincts and that we are going to have volunteers at each, documenting all the cases of fraud and violation. But it also makes me think, what if I fail to protect their votes? Because they know what it’s like from previous elections.

So I am going to do what I can. We are working around the clock even though we don’t know whether we are going to manage as a team.

GV: You are among few independent women politicians in Azerbaijan. Why is there a lack of women politicians in Azerbaijan? And what kind of challenges does this create? What of gender inequality?

VN: People don’t trust women politicians. I saw this during the municipal elections. I was told “aren’t there enough men left in Neftcala? We don’t need a woman politician.” For this to change, we need more women in politics. In a patriarchal society like Azerbaijan, we cannot have this.

During the municipal election they laughed at me when I knocked on people’s doors asking for their votes. I was often asked what I was thinking running against a man who has had the same seat for the past 17 years. But, after winning in the municipal election, and actually getting the man ousted and returning to the people the land he appropriated, that attitude has changed.

The other day I was invited to meet a group of 20–25 young men at a local tea house. I sat with them, we talked, and I see it as a positive development. This is not to say that the attitude changed everywhere. There are still village residents who tell me to my face they won’t vote for me because of my gender.

Nagi has become a role model in her village. She is praised as brave and determined. None of that would have been possible had she not participated in the municipal election in 2019 and she is aware of that.

If Nagi is elected, her plans include addressing unemployment first. Even though she is aware she cannot create jobs as a member of the parliament, she is determined to do what it takes, including donating her salary to create jobs and support small businesses.

She knows what she is doing. During her time at the municipality, she created a small workshop for local women to sow bed linen. The business shut down during the pandemic and it was not possible to revive it after but she has the experience and the know how.

The last parliamentary election took place in 2020, with reports of irregularities and electoral violations. The candidates seen as loyal to the ruling New Azerbaijan Party won all but one of the 125 seats in the National Assembly. It is hard to say this election will be any different. Even with candidates like Nagi, their influence is restricted in an election environment where results are likely predetermined.

Written by Arzu Geybullayeva