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'Two dead' in Azeri election riot
BAKU, Azerbaijan -- Activists backing defeated Azeri presidential candidate Isa Gambar have clashed with riot police amid allegations of widespread electoral violations. At least two people were reported dead. A man's body covered in blood was found by medics outside a Baku clinic and the lifeless body of a boy was discovered at the scene of the violence, according to Reuters. Protesters overturned cars, smashed shop windows and threw stones towards government buildings as about 3,000 people gathered in the center of Baku Thursday. The riots came hours after Ilham Aliev, son of ailing leader Haydar Aliev, was declared the winner of the election, which fell short of international standards, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). With 91 percent of the ballots counted, Ilham Aliev had 79.5 percent of the vote, the Central Election Commission said. His closest rival, Gambar, had 12 percent. Aliev led a field of eight candidates in Wednesday's vote, standing alone for the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party after his father -- hospitalized in the United States -- pulled out of the race less than two weeks ago. More than 71 percent of the former Soviet republic's 4.4 million voters cast ballots, election commission chairman Mazahir Panahov told The Associated Press. Western observers roundly condemned the vote. "This election was a missed opportunity for a genuine democratic election process," Peter Eicher, head of the observation mission of the OSCE, told AP. He cited instances of ballot-box stuffing, falsified vote counts and interference by unauthorized people in the voting and counting process. On Thursday, supporters of Gambar began rioting in the center of the city. A few thousand mostly young men made their way through central Baku, throwing rocks and smashing cars and shop windows as they went. Police did not intervene. As the votes were being counted Gambar, leader of the opposition party Musavat, or Equality, said he won a majority and claimed there were violations in favor of Aliev, while many in Baku complained that they were prevented from registering and that others cast multiple votes. A melee broke out Wednesday after polls closed when several hundred opposition supporters gathered outside Musavat headquarters, chanting Gambar's name and applauding as he arrived. Police said 25 people were detained in the clashes and 20 policemen suffered moderate to serious injuries. Some protesters and police were bloodied or bandaged. Even before election day, international organizations reported widespread violations, including biased media coverage, violence at opposition protests ignited by police or pro-government provocateurs, and intimidation of opposition sympathizers. OSCE observer Ivan Lozowy told AP he had stopped recording reported violations because he had seen so many himself at the 35 polling places he visited Wednesday. Geidar Aliev, 80, has not been seen in public since he was hospitalized in Turkey on July 8, and he is being treated in the United States. A longtime leader of Azerbaijan's Soviet-era Communist Party, Geidar Aliev returned to power in 1993 following a military coup. He is regarded by many as a figure of stability and was widely expected to win before he withdrew. Ilham Aliev, 41, has pledged to continue his father's policies. A former top official at the state oil company, he was appointed prime minister in August to ensure power stayed in the family if his father died before the vote. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to congratulate Aliev on his "decisive victory," according to the Kremlin, which had hoped he would win to maintain stability in the volatile Caucasus region. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Aliev to congratulate him, Erdogan's office said. Aliev has called Turkey, which is culturally and linguistically close to Azerbaijan, "our closest friend." Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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