Publication

This issue of the CAD features four articles that look at different facets of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary elections in November 2015. The first article confirms that unaffiliated independents in the country's parliament do indeed fall into one of three categories – public figure independents, “fake” independents, and independents who are muscling for public visibility. The second article then analyzes the specific campaign of a non-partisan female candidate who wasn’t part of the country’s dominant party. The third article explores the dilemmas democratic oppositions face in elections-based authoritarian states. Finally, the last article explores the question of democratic legitimacy and stresses the important role transnationally recognized elections play in newly independent states.