Day 9
Azerbaijan
The snap elections in Azerbaijan delivered the expected result for the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev. The initial poll surveys showed Aliyev losing ground to the opposition. However, after an effective clampdown on the press media in the country, the ruling party freely went after the opposition leadership. A snap election was the best opportunity for the ruling party to return to power with a weakened opposition. In recent years, several 10/40 Window countries abandoned proper electoral practices to seize power by silencing the opposition.
Pray for the President’s family members to have a powerful encounter with the resurrected Christ Jesus like Saul did on the Road to Damascus (The Bible, Acts 9:3-4).
Azerbaijan has been riding the line for years between democracy and fiefdom. Its New Azerbaijan Party is accused of authoritarianism and bribery. It imprisons corruption-busting journalists and human rights advocates. Friction with neighboring Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh disputed territory turned into an outright war from September to November 2020. Though a peace deal was negotiated, relations between the two nations have continued to be tense. Oil export revenues have aided the Azeri population, elevating living standards and increasing military strength. Yet, poverty and corruption plague the nation. The Church experiences ongoing restrictions, especially with raids on church meetings and homes of church leaders, and detentions of Christians continue.