BAKU, February 8. /TASS/. Azerbaijan’s incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, who is running for his fifth term in office, is leading Wednesday’s early presidential poll with 92.05% of votes, chairman of the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazakhir Panakhov told the AzTv television channel after counting ballots from more than 93% of polling stations.

Lawmaker and self-nominee Zakhid Oduj is second with 2.19%

They are flowed by the leader of the Great Order Party Fazil Mustafa (2%), lawmaker and leader of the Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Gudrat Gasanguliyev (1.76%), leader of the National Front Party Razi Nurullayev (0.8%), leader of the Great Azerbaijan Party Elshad Musayev (0.67%), self-nominee, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Fuad Aliyev (0.53%).

According to the CEC, voter turnout was 76.73% At the previous election in 2018, it was 74.5%

For the first time in Azerbaijan’s history, the election was held in Karabakh, which came under Baku’s control in 2023. Twenty-six polling stations were opened in Karabakh for 23,000 eligible voters.

President Aliyev and his family arrived in Khankendi, Karabakh’s administrative center formerly known under its Armenian name of Stepanakert, to cast his vote.