Liberal Coalition

*For its predecessor, see Liberal Party.*
The **Liberal Coalition** (Salvanian: *Либраца Коалиция; Libratsa Koalitsya*) is a major centre-right political party in Salva. It promotes the values of classical liberalism. The current leader of the Liberal Coalition is Mirzy Amirbeyzov, who was elected as leader of the party in 2013 and has served as president of Salva since 2015.

The party was founded in 1998 after the merger of the governing Freedom Party and the smaller Liberal Party. It first came to power following the merger of the two parties under president Asiman Hajiyev. The Liberal Coalition holds several core policies, including pro-market economic policies, neutral defence policy, social welfare, equality of rights, and staunchly pro-West foreign policies. The party has been characterized by a high degree of internal consensus. Its major opponents are the Conservative Front and the National Party.

## History

The Liberal Coalition was founded after the merger of the governing Freedom Party and the smaller Liberal Party, both of which had been formed as electoral coalitions of disparate liberal and conservative parties in the 1990s following the turbulent collapse of the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of the merger, the party was officially registered with the Board of Elections on 12 March 1998, and promoted a big-tent form of liberal conservatism. It automatically became the ruling party due to Asiman Hajiyev serving as president under the Freedom Party.

Hajiyev resigned as party leader in 2002 and served as president until the conclusion of the 2003 general election. Hajiyev led the party until his resignation in 2002. His successor as leader of the Liberal Coalition was Bahadur Nizamili, who had served as prime minister under Hajiyev. Nizamili failed to maintain governance after the 2003 elections, conceding to Conservative Azad Gasimov, which pushed the party into opposition status for the first time. Nizamili again lost the 2009 election, though did not resign his position.

Nizamili maintained his status as leader until he resigned in 2013, calling upon a leadership election that was ultimately won by Mirzy Amirbeyzov. Amirbeyzov carried the Liberal Coalition to a historic landslide in 2015 following several months of scandal in the Gasimov administration, becoming the country's third president and the second under the Liberal Coalition. Amirbeyzov once again won the 2021 general election with a similar majority, but with a weakened Conservative Front. Following the 2022 Iranian invasion of Salva, a snap election was called as a call of confidence in the government, in which Amirbeyzov carried the Liberal Coalition to just under a supermajority with over 200 seats in the Magizhatsti.

As of 2022, the Liberal Coalition serves as the largest party in the Magizhatsti and the largest party by membership numbers.

### Asiman Hajiyev

#### Salvanian Revolution

Following the Salvanian Revolution, Asiman Hajiyev, leader of the then Freedom Party, laid the groundwork for a merger of the two largest separatist parties, which succeeded in 1998. Following the merger, Hajiyev officially called the first democratic elections of the nation, securing his term as president, and seating the Liberal Coalition in power.

#### 1999 general election

On 20 August, 1998, Hajiyev called for a snap election in order to officially elect a democratic government, in which he ended up retaining his position in power. The 1999 election was seen as a defining moment in the history of the country, as the election brought in the establishment of the Magizhatsti, along with various other foundations. This marked the first time a national general election had been held in the newly established nation. Hajiyev carried the Liberal Coalition to a parliamentary supermajority with 113 out of 158 seats, retaining 67.9% of the vote. The Conservative opposition garnered 45 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.

#### Policy

Under Asiman Hajiyev, the party saw the formation of the party constitution and foundation of the state, as well as significant political, economic and social reforms. During his presidency, the party was characterized by a moderate approach to politics and economic reforms and the liberalization of the political and social sphere. The party was founded on the principles of self-determination and individual freedom, and was strongly pro-Western. Under Hajiyev, the party was in favour of neutrality in foreign conflicts and globalist affairs, though supported regional efforts such as the Yerevan Pact, which saw Salva, Georgia, Armenia, South Ossetia and Adjara form cooperative trade deals with each other. Hajiyev was a strong proponent of multi-party democracy and the protection of human rights, and was the first president of Salva to be democratically elected.

#### Resignation

Hajiyev resigned in 2002 in his own interest, 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, the prime minister at the time. 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.

### Bahadur Nizamili

Under Bahadur Nizamili, the party saw steady growth, though gained little popularity after the 2003 general election. Despite this, the party managed to pass several successful motions under Nizamili during the time of the Gasimov administration. Nizamili ran for president in both 2003 and 2009, though lost both elections, and the Liberal Coalition remained as opposition. Nizamili remained as party leader until 2012, when he formally resigned his party leadership. Nizamili was succeeded by Mirzy Amirbeyzov, who was at the time the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nizamili's cabinet.

#### 2003 general election

The 2003 election was a close victory for the Conservatives, falling four seats above the Liberals, at 73 seats. The Liberals maintained 69 seats, while the newly formed National Party gained 16. Nizamili conceded the morning following, and stated he will stay as party leader into the next elections.

#### 2009 general elections

The Liberals again lost the 2009 elections, this time under a redistributed system. The Liberals dropped to 39.2% of the popular vote, and obtained 82 seats, while the Conservatives formed a majority government with 113. The National Party obtained 15 seats. Nizamili stated that he would not be running for the 2015 elections, scheduling a leadership election in 2013.

#### 2013 leadership election

Following the resignation of Nizamili, a leadership election was held in 2013, which was ultimately won by Mirzy Amirbeyzov, who was running against Mostafa Karimi, Kavid Kozlov, and Pavel Katir. Amirbeyzov won on the first ballot, with 72% of the vote.

### Mirzy Amirbeyzov

#### 2015 general election

Under Amirbeyzov, the party regained traction in the months prior to the 2015 general election, overtaking the Conservatives in the polls in late 2013 following fiscal scandal.

The Liberal Coalition staged a historic comeback in the 2015 elections, with 156 seats, over the Conservatives' 125. Gasimov resigned as Conservative leader shortly after, following months of controversy. Amirbeyzov's government was inaugurated on 10 January 2015.

#### Policy

Amirbeyzov enacted several bills that saw a major change in social and economic policies, including a major overhaul of the country's security system. In 2016, Salva joined the Eastern Partnership, a European Union-led trade bloc for European and former Soviet states, and codified freedom of identity as a constitutional right, and in 2018, Amirbeyzov passed the Neutrality Act, which instated Salva as a militarily neutral state. In June of 2022, the Amirbeyzov administration flagged support for a bill that would enshrine abortion as a constitutional right, and it was later passed unanimously.

#### 2021 general election

Amirbeyzov formally called the 2021 election on 1 October 2020, and campaigned on a similar platform to 2015, but with a higher focus on curbing the spread of COVID-19, reducing government spending, and improving economic conditions. Amirbeyzov secured a second term with 52.1% of the vote, a 0.2% decrease from 2015, though gained a larger majority due to a weakened Conservative Front. Amirbeyzov's second term lasted only a year and a half, due to increasing tensions with Iran eventually resulting in a snap election in August of 2022.

#### Iranian invasion of Salva and 2022 general election

In mid-2022, Iran formally declared war on Salva after a tense border conflict that included Iranian troops crossing the border, capturing several towns, and a failed diplomatic mission to defuse the situation. This resulted in a strong showing of support for Amirbeyzov, who quickly responded to the situation and pushed back the Iranian advances. Iranian leader Hamidreza Bahadori was assassinated just four days after the declaration in a Salvanian military operation, which resulted in the surrender of Iran two weeks later. The Magizhatsti voted unanimously in confidence of Amirbeyzov on 1 July 2022, and later was ordered dissolution in a public vote of confidence, thus starting a one-month long election campaign period. On 1 August, Amirbeyzov secured a 213 seat majority in the Magizhatsti.

## Principles and policies

The Liberal Coalition formally upholds the principles of classical liberalism, market freedom and social justice. It advocates for a socially equal society and a free market economy with subsidiaries for welfare and social services. Under Hajiyev, the Liberal Coalition followed regionalist politics and pursued cooperative economic and political relations with the Yerevan Pact.

Under Nizamili, the party gradually shifted to more socially liberal policies, including same-sex marriage, abortion, and more lenient drug laws, while under Amirbeyzov, the party has more focused its platform and ideals on global affairs and cooperation, advocating for individual freedom and social justice, as well as for the protection of human rights and the environment, along with strengthening relations with Europe.