President Aliyev announced the early poll after his popularity surged last year in the wake of Azerbaijan’s successful military campaign in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan’s lightning offensive in September brought an end to three decades of ethnic Armenian rule in the region – which is recognised internationally as Azerbaijani territory.
Most of its 120,000 ethnic Armenian residents fled to neighbouring Armenia although some of the most senior officials in the breakaway territory were arrested and have been held in pre-trial detention in Azerbaijan for months, accused of various offences.
Mr Aliyev described the Karabakh victory as “an epochal event unparalleled in Azerbaijan’s history”, adding that the election would mark the “beginning of a new era” as it was being held on all of its territory for the first time.
Ali Kerimali, the leader of Popular Front, one of Azerbaijan’s main opposition parties, said there were “no conditions in the country for the conduct of free and fair elections”.
“Freedom of assembly is restricted, media are under government pressure, and political dissent is being suppressed,” he added.
