Asiman Hajiyev

**Asiman Hajiyev** (*HAD-JEE-yev, hayi-YEV*, b. 17 September, 1942) is a Salvanian businessman and politician who previously served as the first president of Salva from 1999 to 2003, and as acting president from 1990 to 1999. Hajiyev served as leader of the Freedom Party from 1990 to 1998, and leader of the Liberal Coalition from 1998 to 2003. He led the Kuznechova Group in the last year of the Soviet Civil War following the death of Markov Kazimir, and has served as leader of Kuznechova International since 17 September, 1992.

Hajiyev studied at the Moscow State University and graduated with a Ph.D. in economics. He began his career working as an economist before moving into politics in 1974. He helped to organize a pro-Eastern trade union in Azerbaijan and later worked with the advisory board in the Azerbaijan SSR as a senior economist. Hajiyev fell towards western ideals in 1978 following Brezhnev-era reforms and economic stagnation and later left the Communist Party and became an independent.

Hajiyev, along with Markov Kazimir, Joseph Niblisima, and Arkady Genrikh, formed the Kuznechova Group in Latvia in 1983 and became the main opposition force to the rule of Sashok Vitya. Following the assassination of Kazimir, Hajiyev assumed leadership of the group and led the force for the last year of the civil war, before merging into the successor, Kuznechova International, in 1992. Hajiyev led the organization during the Salvanian Revolution, which eventually saw the independence of Salva from the Iranian state. Today, Hajiyev remains leader of the organization as it stands as a UN-sponsored body.

## Personal life

### Early life

Hajiyev was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, on 17 September 1942 to a Russian mother and a Georgian father. He attended school in Moscow after having moved there in 1946, and after graduation worked as a junior engineer. In 1969, he graduated from the Moscow State University with a Ph.D. in economics, and served as an economist until 1974. Hajiyev was drafted to Afghanistan in 1979 and fought in the Soviet-Afghan war until 1983 as an artillery officer.

### Latvia and Soviet opposition

Hajiyev, along with Markov Kazimir, Joseph Niblisima, and Arkady Genrikh, formed the Kuznechova Group in Latvia in 1983 following harsh restrictive policies set in place by Sashok Vitya, whom was elected following the death of Leonid Brezhnev. The Soviet Civil War began in November of 1983 following the exchange of fire between Soviet soldiers and Kuznechova rebels in Minsk and Riga.

### Kuznechova Group

Shortly after formation, the group began recruiting dissidents to lower the influence of the Soviet leadership in the Baltics via underground and covert operations to undermine the Soviet governments. In late 1983, the Soviet government became aware of the existence of the organized group, and began tightening restrictions on opposition ideologies. The group became the main opposition to the rule of Sashok Vitya and the Communist Party, and under Hajiyev's influence, was sponsored by several Western entities during the Soviet Civil War.

Hajiyev served as the main public official to the group alongside Kazimir, tasked with recruitment and ideological campaigning. Hajiyev was considered the group's chief ideologue, and was in charge of most public affairs in the face of the group.

### Riga Stage

In February of 1984, the group staged an armed takeover of the Latvian SSR, which, with public support, succeeded. The takeover was met with a violent response from the Soviet Army, with armored units being deployed to Riga. Hajiyev conducted a televised speech shortly after the takeover and became a primary target of the Soviet Armed Forces.

Hajiyev continued to boost recruitment numbers within the group and later returned to the Azerbaijan SSR at the beginning of the Caucasus Campaign. Hajiyev began working with local leaders to organize resistance to the Soviet occupation around June 1984.

### Caucasus Campaign

The Caucasus Campaign, a major part of the war, saw Hajiyev become a commanding force in the pro-Western side of the conflict, and subsequently became the overall commander of the anti-Soviet forces in the region, alongside Kazimir. During the course of the Caucasus Campaign, over two million Kuznechova soldiers were recruited, mainly from the Caucasian states, Russia, and the Baltics. The campaign lasted until January 13, 1991, when an agreement was reached to halt hostilities with the withdrawal of the Soviet Army from the Caucasus and southern Russia.

### Aftermath and Peredacha Accords

Hajiyev was a key signature of the Peredacha Accords, which marked the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union on 25 December, 1991. Hajiyev pushed for amendments to the accords that would negate the transfer of the Caucasus to the Iranian State, however the Soviet government rejected the amendments. Hajiyev agreed upon the accords to aid in the establishment of governments in the republics, and also to guarantee civil rights, free markets, and political independence. Hajiyev was one of four signatories of the Peredacha Accords, along with Soviet general secretary Sashok Vitya, Arkady Genrikh, and Joseph Niblisima.

## Caucasus Uprising

Following the Peredacha Accords, Hajiyev returned to the Caucasus region, now controlled by Iran, to continue the push for independence within the region. This conflict would eventually result in the Caucasus Uprising, which saw the overthrowing of the Iranian regime in the region, alongside the Georgian, Armenian, and Salvanian Revolutions.

The Kuznechova Group officially reformed to Kuznechova International early in 1992, and was headquartered in Baku. With this, much of the forces relocated to the Iranian-occupied region.

Hajiyev and Niblisima led the resistance movement in Azerbaijan, while a smaller group led by Genrikh led a resistance movement in Georgia and Armenia. The revolutionary period lasted until August 20, 1997, when Hajiyev motioned the Caucasian governments to forward their constitutional declarations.

## Salvanian political career

### Acting presidency and establishment

During the uprising, Hajiyev laid the paperwork for a standard parliamentary government form within the Caucasus, and helped to organize the first free elections and legislatures in the region. Hajiyev served as the western-backed leader of Salva from 1993, and the de-facto president from 1995. He led the Freedom Party from 1990. During this time, Hajiyev laid the groundwork in Salva for the establishment of the Magizhatsti, the electoral process, and a new constitution. Hajiyev appointed a temporary council within the Freedom Party to discuss motions and electoral issues, and later formed a commission for electoral reform. The reform commission would later publish a report with its proposals for a new electoral system, which settled on a first-past-the-post system, which was later adopted throughout the Caucasus region, and much of the post-Soviet world.

Iran retreated forces in mid 1996, and the Freedom Party took power in the region. Salva, along with Georgia and Armenia, declared independence on 20 August, 1997. Hajiyev remained as acting president and following the completion of the Magizhatsti, called for official democratic elections on 1 January, 1999, in which he retained his position as president and secured a parliamentary majority under the Liberal Coalition, following the merger of the Liberal Party and the Freedom Party in 1998.

### Presidency and post-revolution

Hajiyev carried the Liberal Coalition to a parliamentary majority with 117 out of 181 seats, retaining 67.9% of the vote. The Conservative opposition garnered 64 seats, while Azad Gasimov conceded defeat and maintained his party leadership of the Conservative Front following a confidence vote. Both parties voted in confidence of their respective leaders unanimously, securing parliamentary stability.

As president, Hajiyev put forth several motions to establish and improve relations with the West, along with the establishment of a free market, and the establishment of the Yerevan Pact, which saw Salva, Georgia, Armenia, South Ossetia and Adjara form cooperative trade deals with each other. He also promoted increased relations with the United States and European Union. Hajiyev began the policy of détente with Iran, securing the border and establishing diplomatic neutrality with the country.

Hajiyev resigned presidency in 2002, announcing that he was stepping down in order to focus on his personal life and the Kuznechova organization. Shortly after, Hajiyev called for a party leadership election, which was won by Bahadur Nizamili, whom was appointed as prime minister by Hajiyev in 1999. Hajiyev remained president until the 2003 elections, in which afterwards he formally resigned presidency, transferring it to the elected Gasimov government, which saw Nizamili become party leader.

### Post-presidency

Following his resignation, Hajiyev remained active in the party and politics, serving as Chairman of the Liberal Coalition from 2003 until 2013, and as a member of the Magizhatsti until 2015. Primarily, Hajiyev focused on international politics and relations, and furthered Kuznechova International to cooperation with the United Nations, the European Union, and NATO. Currently, Kuznechova International is the largest international peacekeeping organization, with nearly 275,000 peacekeeping and monitoring soldiers.

Hajiyev was placed at #18 on the list of most powerful people in 2018.