The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the

head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

of the

Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russi ...

. The

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

states that the president is the embodiment of

executive power The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in

home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

and

foreign Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United S ...

policies Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...

", and "shall have the right of immunity rom prosecution" The president rules through his executive office, the Presidential Administration, consisting of a group of secretaries and departmental ministers. Additionally, there is a Cabinet of Ministers regarding economic and social policy and a Security Council regarding foreign, military, and judicial matters. The primary workplace is the presidential building (also known as the presidential apparatus) on Istiglaliyyat Street in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar Oghlu Aliyev (born 24 December 1961) is an Azerbaijani politician who has been the fourth president of Azerbaijan since 2003. He is also the leader of the New Azerbaijan Party since 2005. The son and second child of former Aze ...

, son of the former president, Heydar, was elected the 4th and current president on 31 October 2003 after his father's resignation due to his deteriorating health.

Selection process and term

Eligibility

Candidates for the position must be Azerbaijani citizens without age restrictions and have lived in Azerbaijan for at least 10 years. According to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the same person can be on the post of President an unlimited number of terms.

Election

Each faction in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

has the right to nominate a candidate for the presidential elections. The minimum number of signatures for a presidential candidate fielded by a political party with no parliamentary representation is 40,000, before amendments to the law.

Term of office

Prior to 2009, the term of office was five years, with a maximum of two terms. A referendum in 2009 removed the limit on the number of terms, and in 2016, another referendum increased the term to seven years. According to the Azerbaijani administration, a longer term would provide for more continuity in decision-making. The

Venice Commission The Venice Commission, officially European Commission for Democracy through Law, is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law. It was created in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin ...

, of which Azerbaijan is a member, warned that this and other provisions of the referendum gave "unprecedented" authority to the president, and could severely upset the balance of power.

Inauguration

The official inauguration ceremony of the president is not publicly held, occurring with the participation of officials of the Azerbaijan state (representatives of political parties, public organizations, military personnel, religious figures), members of the government, deputies of the National Assembly, members of the president's family, as well as foreign representatives and other invited guests. It is held within three days after the confirmation of the elected president by the Constitutional Court, during which the president takes the following oath: Then the person elected president of Azerbaijan puts his right hand on the Koran and takes the following oath: Then the president-elect of Azerbaijan bows and kisses the Azerbaijani flag. The ceremony ends with a speech by the president-elect of Azerbaijan. The following is a list of presidential inaugurations:

Powers and duties

Guarantor of the Constitution

As the guarantor of the Constitution and the entire system of constitutional law, the president ensures that the constitutions, laws and regulations of the constituent territories of the Azerbaijan be in full compliance with the country's Constitution and federal laws.

Foreign policy

The president is invested with extensive rights to implement the state's foreign policy. The president determines Azerbaijan's position in international affairs and represents the state in international relations, conducts negotiations and signs

ratification Ratification is a principal's legal confirmation of an act of its agent. In international law, ratification is the process by which a state declares its consent to be bound to a treaty. In the case of bilateral treaties, ratification is usuall ...

documents.

Military policy

The president serves as the supreme commander-in-chief of the

Azerbaijani Armed Forces The Azerbaijani Armed Forces () is the military of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were ...

. In this capacity, he has the power to declare a martial law.

Agencies under the president

Presidential Administration

The Office of the President of Azerbaijan is the executive administration of the president, and is in charge of fulfilling the constitutional responsibilities of the president. The headquarters of office is located on Istiglaliyyat Street in

. It is currently headed by Samir Nuriyev.

Security Council

The Security Council (''Təhlükəsizlik Şurası'') is an advisory body to the president, established on 10 April 1997. The Security Council ensures the creation of conditions for the President to exercise his constitutional powers in the field of security. The chairman of the Security Council under the president of Azerbaijan is the president of Azerbaijan. The following people are members of the council: Chief military advisors to the president of Azerbaijan have included

Nuraddin Sadigov Major General Nuraddin Sadig oglu Sadigov (; 1935–2009) also known as Nuraddin Sadikhov, was the Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Deputy Minister of Defense and National Advisor on Military Issues. Early life Sadigo ...

(1993–1999), Tofig Aghahuseynov (1997–2002) and National Security Vahid Aliyev (since April 2002).

Symbols

File:Fanfares of the President of Azerbaijan.ogg, Fanfare of the president of Azerbaijan File:Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri Ali Baş Komandanının bayrağı.jpg, Flag of the supreme commander-in-chief File:Flag of the President of Azerbaijan.svg, Standard of the president File:Flag of the President of Azerbaijan on board of a ship of the State Border Service.svg, Flag of the president of Azerbaijan on board a State Border Service ship File:Flag of the President of Azerbaijan on board of MES ship.png, Flag of the president of Azerbaijan on board a Ministry of Emergency Situations ship

Standard

After the oath of office has been taken by the elected president, the standard is handed over to the president. These devices are used to display the rank of his office and are used on special occasions. The standard is a square version of the Azerbaijani flag, charged in the center with the Azerbaijani coat of arms. Golden fringe is added to the standard. Copies of the standard are used inside his office, other state agencies, and while the president is traveling in a vehicle inside Azerbaijan. A 2:3 ratio version of the flag is used when the President is at sea. This is the most used symbol to denote the presence of the Azerbaijan president.

Military flag

The flag of the supreme commander-in-chief of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces was approved by the decree of President Ilham Aliyev on 11 April 2019. The flag of the supreme commander-in-chief is the official military symbol of the president of Azerbaijan, with the original being kept in the service room of the president located in the Presidential Palace. It resembles the army flag but with the words "Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan".

Badge

The badge of the president (Prezidentinin döş nişanı) was approved by decree on September 15, 2008. It is in the shape of an octagonal star made of 18 carat gold, placed in a circle with a diameter. In the center is a mined image of the State Emblem of Azerbaijan, which is surrounded by two rings and 60 diamonds are lined up between the rings.

Residences

The main (since 2008) presidential residence is '' Zagulba'' (). Also, the president has several part-time residences outside of Baku: * Youth Presidential Palace * Presidential Mountain Palace in

Qabala Qabala () is a city and the administrative centre of the Qabala District of Azerbaijan. The municipality consists of the city of Gabala and the village of Küsnət, Qabala, Küsnat. Before the city was known as Kutkashen, but after the Republic o ...

* "Freedom" Guest House * Palace of Happiness *

Gulustan Palace Gulustan Palace (), known as Gulustan Wedding Palace Complex during the Soviet era, is the main state convention center of the Azerbaijani government. It is located on Baku's highland, on Istiglaliyyat Street overlooking the whole city of Baku an ...

* Presidential Library * "Marxal" Treatment and Recreation Complex As well as several vacation residences: * ''Novkhani'' (), Novkhani,

Absheron Rayon Absheron District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. Located in the east of the country, it belongs to the Absheron-Khizi Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Khizi, Gobustan, Baku, Hajigabul, Salyan, and the cit ...

* ''Khoshbulaq'' (),

Daşkəsən Dashkasan (, ) is a city, municipality and the capital of the Dashkasan District of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 10,801. The municipality consists of the city of Dashkasan and the village of Alunitdağ. Etymology The official Azerbaijani na ...

Dashkasan District Dashkasan District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the Ganja-Dashkasan Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Goygol, Kalbajar, Gadabay, Shamkir, and the ...

*Göy Saray in

*Vahdat Presidential Summer Palace in

Shamakhi Shamakhi (, ) is a city in Azerbaijan and the administrative centre of the Shamakhi District. The city's estimated population was 31,704. It is famous for its traditional dancers, the Shamakhi Dancers, and also for perhaps giving its name to th ...

*"Ulduz" Guest House * "Youth" Guest House

Transport and security

Cars belonged to Heydar Aliyev in Heydar Aliyev Center

National transport services for the Azerbaijan president are provided by the Special Purpose Garage, which is a unit within the Special State Protection Service.Heydar Aliyev's Heritage International Online Library: Speech by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, the High Chief in a ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of the founding of the National Guard - National Guard headquarters in Azerbaijan, 25 December 1996
*

Limousine A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment which can be operated mechanically by hand or by a button electronically. A luxu ...

s **

Maybach 62 The Maybach 57 (chassis code W240) and 62 (chassis code V240) were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since its revival by DaimlerChrysler AG (now Mercedes-Benz Group AG). They are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car ...

Mercedes-Benz W221 The Mercedes-Benz W221 is a chassis code of the fifth generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, S-Class, produced from August 2005 until June 2013. The W221 S-Class was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show#2005, 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show as the successo ...

*Honorary escort (motorcycles) **

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

* Airplanes for long-distance travel *

Boeing 767-300ER The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified ...

4K-AI01 "Baku-1" Main aircraft *

Airbus A319-100 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final assem ...

4K-AI02 "Baku-2" *

Gulfstream G550 The Gulfstream G550 is an American business jet aircraft produced by the General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit in Savannah, Georgia, US. The certification designation is GV-SP. A version with reduced fuel capacity was marketed as the G50 ...

4K-AI06 The presidential aircraft uses the same colour scheme as standard

AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines (), also known as AZAL, is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Azerbaijan. Based in Baku, adjacent to Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the carrier operates to destinations across Asia, the Commonwealth of Ind ...

aircraft, except for the use of the Azerbaijan coat of arms or the

Presidential Standard The presidential standard or presidential flag is the flag that is used in many countries as a symbol of the head of state or president (government title), president. In some countries it may be for exclusive use of the president or only raised w ...

on the

empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...

instead of the

flag of Azerbaijan The national flag of Azerbaijan (), often referred to as the tricolour flag (), is a horizontal tricolour that features three equally sized bars of bright blue, red, and green; a white crescent; and a centred eight-pointed star. The flag has ...

Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1990–present)

Timeline

Latest election

References

External links

The President of AzerbaijanThe President of Azerbaijan

The President of Azerbaijan
{{Authority control Government of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

Lists of Azerbaijani people by occupation 1990 establishments in Azerbaijan