Its candidate Ilham Aliyev was reported by the government to have won 80% of the popular vote in the 2003 presidential elections, which faced criticism of vote-rigging from groups such as Human Rights Watch.
Kandidatnya, Ilham Aliyev, dilaporkan oleh pemerintah memperoleh 80% suara pemilih dalam pemilihan presiden 15 Oktober 2003, yang dikritik telah melakukan rekayasa suara dari kelompok-kelompok seperti Pengawas Hak-hak Asasi Manusia (Human Rights Watch).