Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan was first associated with Russia when it was ceded by Persia to Russia through treaties in 1813 and 1828. After the Russian Revolution in 1918, Azerbaijan became an independent state. It joined the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1920 and united with Georgia and Armenia to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. Azerbaijan won its independence after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and joined the United Nations in 1992.

Since the fall of communism in Azerbaijan, there has been much political turmoil as the constitution was repeatedly violated and the president, Ayaz Mutalibov, was forced to resign in March 1992. Mutalibov was held directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Azerbaijanis at the hands of Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. After the resignation of Mutalibov, the interim president, yagub Mamedov attempted to maintain control but failed. Mutalibov took this oppoetunity to attempts to reagin power. He failed however and the Azerbaijani Popular Front (APF) seized control in a nearly blodless coup in May 1992.

Interior Minister Iksandeer Hamidov, Prosecutor General Ali Omerov and Prime Minister Surat Huseinov were implicated in an attempted coup in 1994. Additional coup attempts in March 1995 were blamed on Huseinov and Mutalibov. Currently, Azerbaijan is governed by a 1978 copnstitution the Milli Majlis or 50 member National Assembly and the president Geydar Aliyev who was elected in October 1993 with 98.8% of the popular vote.