Bilal Ibrahimbeyov

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**Levent Bilal Ibrahimbeyov** MP (b. June 20, 1972) is a Salvanian politician and former journalist who has served as leader of the National Party Salva since 2002, and member of parliament for Zharskij since 2003. He founded the National Party in 2002, splitting the party from the Conservative Front.

Ibrahimbeyov attended the Salvanian Institute of Science from 1992 to 1997 and attained a bachelor's degree in political sciences from the institution. From 1997 to 1998, he worked as an assistant for Salvadoro Today, and from 1998 to 2002, he worked as a political journalist for the Krasto newspaper. He also worked as a radio commentator for the local radio station Raspija from 1995 to 1997. Ibrahimbeyov is married and has two children.

Following his election in 2003, Ibrahimbeyov secured a stability clause with the Conservative Front to prevent a snap election until the scheduled 2009 election. Following the election of a Conservative majority government in 2009, Ibrahimbeyov shifted the party away from the Conservatives and acted as tertiary opposition to the government.

Following the 2015 election, Ibrahimbeyov widely sided against president Mirzy Amirbeyzov on issues regarding the economy and social services, and continued to hold his stance after 2021. Ibrahimbeyov has been critical on the Amirbeyzov administration for topics regarding the military, government spending, and foreign affairs. Ibrahimbeyov led the National Party to their largest victory in 2021, and to a slightly lesser seat count in 2022.

## Personal life and education

Ibrahimbeyov was born as Levent Bilal Ibrahimbeyov, on 20 June 1972, in Neftchala, Azerbaijan SSR, to Lutfi Ibrahimbeyov and Natalya Ibrahimbeyov, his father Turkish and his mother Salvanian. He has an older sister, Elena, and a younger brother, David. He attended primary school at the Ramoudaci school in Neftchala and secondary school at the Šanskij high school in Karavelli.

Ibrahimbeyov later attended the Salvanian Institute of Science from 1992 to 1997 and attained a bachelor's degree in political sciences from the institution after attending the institution for five years.

## Career

Ibrahimbeyov began his political career as as a radio commentator for Raspija in Neftchala, a local radio news station, and later worked as a journalist for Salvadoro Today from 1997 to 1998, covering local and national political matters. In 1998, Ibrahimbeyov moved on to join the Krasto newspaper in Lankaran as the lead political columnist, reporting on Iran and regional affairs. He quit his job as a columnist in 2002 to pursue a career in politics.

#### Political career

Ibrahimbeyov founded the National Party Salva in 2002, as an alternative party to the increasingly-dominant Conservative Front, espousing more protectionist, isolationist and militarist views. The party quickly gained popularity in his home state, Ganivirnz. Ibrahimbeyov ran for the seat of Zharskij, and subsequently won the seat in the 2003 general election to become a member of the Magizhatsti. Ibrahimbeyov campaigned extensively in the south of the country, in more conservative regions and potential swing districts, to increase the party's popularity.

As leader of the National Party, Ibrahimbeyov soon began to gain a reputation for his outspoken and blunt rhetoric, as well as his strong oratory. Following the 2003 election, Ibrahimbeyov led the party to attain 16 of the 158 seats in the Magizhatsti. Ibrahimbeyov was re-elected in his district of Zharskij in 2009, 2015, 2021, and most recently, in 2022.

In 2003, following the political gridlock between the Liberal Coalition and the Conservative Front, Ibrahimbeyov agreed to a stability clause with Azad Gasimov and the Conservative Front in order to uphold parliamentary stability until the 2009 elections. Ibrahimbeyov pulled support following the election of a Conservative majority government in 2009, acting as a tertiary opposition to the government. He maintained this position through the 2015, 2021, and 2022 elections.

Following the election of Mirzy Amirbeyzov and the Liberal Coalition in 2015, Ibrahimbeyov continued to maintain his opposition to the administration. He has criticized the government on a number of issues regarding the economy, social services, and foreign policy. Ibrahimbeyov has been critical of the administration for topics regarding the military, notably in 2018, over the ratification of the Neutrality Act, which the National Party voted unanimously against.

Following the 2021 election, Ibrahimbeyov maintained his leadership of the party and secured their largest seat count. Following the Iranian invasion of Salva in 2022, Ibrahimbeyov signalled the National Party to vote in favour of confidence in the Amirbeyzov government, which passed the Magizhatsti unanimously in favour of the government. Subsequently, however, as a public confidence vote, the 2022 general election was summoned, where Ibrahimbeyov and the party maintained roughly the same amount of seats in 2021, though a weaker Conservative Front allowed the party more influence.

## Political views

Ibrahimbeyov has been a controversial and outspoken public figure in Salva's political scene. He is known for his strong anti-immigration and anti-Iranian views. He has been outspoken on the issue of Salva's military neutrality, and has called for increased military spending. In 2019, Ibrahimbeyov called for a public referendum on neutrality, though was later forced to back down from the idea.

Through several interviews, Ibrahimbeyov has described himself as a "liberal conservative, with civic nationalist influences", and that he can "certainly be seen as a fiscally conservative member". He supports free market economy, and advocates the protection of domestic industries. Ibrahimbeyov is a progressive, supporting LGBT, transgender, and abortion rights. He has also come out in favour of same-sex marriage, calling it a "civil right under the constitution". Ibrahimbeyov is a supporter of capital punishment, saying that "certain crimes warrant the most severe of consequences".

Several outlets have described Ibrahimbeyov as a far-right member of the Magizhatsti. However, due to his progressive social policy, many have instead described Ibrahimbeyov as a right-wing populist, a nationalist, or a conservative.