Azerbaijan's Election

In a rigged election, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev won a second term:

"Officials in Azerbaijan say President Ilham Aliyev has been reelected to a second five-year term of office in voting on October 15 that was boycotted by the country's main opposition parties.

"None of the six candidates who challenged Aliyev at the polls was a well-known figure in Azerbaijan. The main opposition parties have described those candidates as a 'puppet opposition' who were running only to give the vote the appearance of an electoral competition...

"The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- which sent more than 400 election observers into Azerbaijan -- criticized the government for campaign irregularities even before election day. It said it was concerned about a ban on public opposition meetings and apparent efforts to coerce students and government workers into attending pro-Aliyev rallies."