Azerbaijan: Thousands Protest On Opening Day Of Election Campaign
Baku, 16 August 2003 (RFE/RL) -- At least 5,000 opposition supporters demonstrated in Baku today on the opening day of Azerbaijan's presidential election campaign.
Demonstrators carried signs saying, "No to dictatorship!" and calling for free elections. No violence or arrests were reported.
Opposition groups fear that the election, to be held on 15 October, will be a fraud.
In a protest last week, opposition demonstrators said that incumbent President Heidar Aliev's decision to have his 41-year-old son Ilham (pictured) run the government is an attempt to turn Azerbaijan into a monarchy.
Both men are among the 12 candidates running for the presidency. The elder Aliev has been undergoing health problems for some time.
Copyright (c) 2003. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
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