Fraud allegations in Azerbaijan election

The ruling party took the lead in Azerbaijan’s parliamentary election according to the official vote count and exit polls, but rights groups and monitors reported irregularities and the opposition vowed to fight to overturn what it called fraudulent results.

The vote, which came amid mounting tension between the government and opposition, was closely watched for signs of improvement on flawed past elections that sparked violence and destabilised the oil-rich, strategically-located ex-Soviet republic.