What About the Azerbaijani President?

No matter what the present-day condition of Geidar Aliyev's health is, a successor to the incumbent president has been determined once and for all
On Monday, the parliament of Azerbaijan approved of the candidature of Ilkham Aliyev to the prime minister post. 101 out of the 125 deputies of the parliament voted for him. Nobody voted against; one deputy abstained from voting and the opposition was not present at the voting at all. Thus, Ilkham Aliyev is now at the head of the government and, according to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, may take his father's place in case if Geidar Aliyev is unable to fulfill his duties.  

As for Azerbaijan President Geidar Aliyev, he is not in the country now, as he undergoes medical treatment in Turkey. However, being outside the country he suggested the candidature of his son to the prime minister post, and the parliament approved it rather quickly.

Meanwhile, there is still no reliable information about the condition of Aliyev's health; it is even rumored that the president of Azerbaijan is near death. Last week the press-secretary of Georgia's president Kakha Imnadze made a gaffe when he reported death of the Azerbaijani president and presented his condolences on behalf of Georgia President Eduard Shevardnadze. In several minutes, Kakha Imnadze had to refute his words and to make his apologies. Nevertheless, the condition of Geidar Aliyev's health is one of the crucial problems that have a serious effect upon the domestic political life of Azerbaijan. Any kind of information claiming the health of the president is poor is denied on the official level. It is expected that Geidar Aliyev will get back to Azerbaijan on August 6 when an official pre-election campaign is to start. Ilkham Aliyev, whose candidature is also proposed for the presidential post, says that he is running in the elections with a view to support his father and has no intention to become the president.  He refuted all rumors about critical condition of the president's health. After that, he told journalists that the president had broken seven ribs when he collapsed during his speech on April 21. Ilkham Aliyev says the injury proved to be actually very grave for the president's old age as it seriously undermined his physical condition. "Now the situation is certainly better."
 
No matter what the present-day condition of Geidar Aliyev's health is, a successor to the incumbent president has been determined once and for all. In fact, now the situation in Azerbaijan reminds of the events in Russia in 1999. First, the candidature of a successor to the incumbent president is determined; then the man is appointed the prime minister and then he becomes a success at presidential elections. To all appearances, the situation is very much like this in Azerbaijan now.

Russia's news agency RIA Novosti reports the biography facts about Ilkham Aliyev. Ilkham Geidar ogly Aliyev was born on December 24, 1961 in the city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. In 1982, he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and then finished the post-graduate course of the Institute. During 1985-1990, Ilkham Aliyev worked as a lecturer at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 1991-1994 ran business in Moscow and Istanbul.

From May 1994 to present day Ilkham Aliyev has been the first vice-president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (GNKAR). He has been a member of the parliament since 1995 up to now.

In December 1999, Ilkham Aliyev was elected vice-chairman and later in 2001 the first vice-chairman of the ENI Azerbaijan party (the ruling party of the country). Since 1997 he has been the president of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee. Ilkham Aliyev speaks perfect Azerbaijani, Russian, English and French. He is the father of two daughters and one son.