Wonders shall never end! Azerbaijan president appoints wife as vice-president

Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijan president, has caused a stir within the nation and outside it with the appointment of his wife as the vice-president of the country.

Mehriban Aliyeva was appointed on February 21 after the constitutional changes made last year; this changes introduced the powerful position of first vice president which is also the second most senior official in the nation.

52-year-old Aliyeva has held the position of the MP for Yeni Azerbaijan, the ruling party, since 2005. She is also the head of the prestigious and influential Heydar Aliyev foundation which was named after the former president who happened to be her father-in-law.

With this background, power obviously runs in the Aliyev’s family. Aliyeva was born into the powerful Pashayev family and has been seen as the likely successor of her husband, the president, for a long time. Aliyeva’s husband assumed power in 2003 after the death of his father.

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The nomination of Aliyeva ss the vice president of Azerbaijan has generated series of hot debates. The besieged opposition party has criticized this move as they see it as being undemocratic. They also said the elevation is a strategy for the Aliyev family’s dynasty to be strengthened.

"The move throws Azerbaijan back to medieval, feudal times," opposition leader Isa Gambar of Musavat had said.

The 55-year-old president had sailed to a third five-year term against limited opposition in 2013, this political victory extended his tenure and made his family surf into a third decade of reign.

While this political appointment is loved by loyalists who applauded the Aliyevs for the tremendous effort they have put in to turning the republic to a booming energy supplier to Europe, some citizens of the nation are befuddled with the latest development.

Many critics think they have crushed all opposition and have used the power vested on them to get accumulate fortune for the president and his family. They faulted this move with many perceiving it to be bizarre.

Activists have shown their concerns over the rights record in Azerbaijan, the human rights watch in May blasted the country for the brutal curb that has made many lose their voices. Political activists and critical journalists have been jailed with the ruthlessness.

The newly appointed vice president, Aliyeva, is known to live a lavish lifestyle. She pays a lot of attention to luxury and has been featured in Wikileaks’ US diplomatic cables. She is considered to be a first lady in fashion.

Being a trained eye doctor, she has written a dissertation on the ethical aspects of euthanasia which is also known as mercy killing. She was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO In 2004.

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"First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva appears to have had substantial cosmetic surgery, presumably overseas, and wears dresses that would be considered provocative even in the Western world," the leaked 2010 cable said.

Mehriban Aliyeva got married to her husband in 1983, the union is blessed with three children. At the moment, she is the first lady and the vice president of the nation. With this, it is justifiable for one to tag this as a brave move. Who knows how long it will take for other countries to follow the set pace?

Watch the vice president who also doubles as the first lady of Azerbaijan in the video below:

Source: Legit.ng