Azerbaijan has scheduled an unexpected presidential election for February 7, 2024. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on this on December 7. The extraordinary presidential election coincides with restoring Azerbaijan's sovereignty in Karabakh.

So far, Azerbaijani officials have not commented on the motives behind the move. The local media have put forward the version that incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, who is at the height of his success after the return of Nagorno-Karabakh, wants to consolidate his power in this way. 

Ilham Aliyev was elected the President of Azerbaijan on October 15, 2003. He also won the presidential elections on October 15, 2008, October 9, 2013, and April 11, 2018. According to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the President of Azerbaijan is elected for seven years based on general, equal, and direct suffrage through free, personal, and secret voting.