Ayaz Mutallibov

Ayaz Mutallibov
At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, 1992.
President of Azerbaijan
In office August 30, 1991 – March 6, 1992
Succeeded by	Yaqub Mammadov
In office May 14, 1992 – May 18, 1992
Preceded by	Yaqub Mammadov
Succeeded by	Isa Gambar
Full member of the 28th Politburo
In office 14 July 1990 – 29 August 1991
Personal details
Born	Ayaz Niyazi oglu Mutallibov (1938-05-12) May 12, 1938 Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Political party	Azerbaijan Communist Party, Social Democratic Party (Azerbaijan)
Spouse	Adila Mutallibova
Children	2

Ayaz Niyazi oglu Mutallibov (Azerbaijani: Ayaz Niyazi oğlu Mütəllibov, Russian: Аяз Ниязoвич Муталибов, born 12 May 1938, Baku) was the last leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, and the first President of independent Azerbaijan from October 1991 till May 1992.

Biography

Ayaz Mütallibov was born on May 12, 1938 in Baku to the family of a physician and later World War II veteran, Niyazi Aṣraf oğlu Mütallibov, and gynaecologist Kubra Mütallibova (died in 1988).

In 1956, Ayaz Mütallibov graduated from the secondary school #189 in Baku. During his youth he was fond of the music of Elvis Presley's and The Beatles. He was the member of the school volleyball team. In 1962, Mütallibov graduated from the Azerbaijan State Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry. In 1964, Mütallibov became the director of the Baku Refrigerator Factory, and in 1974, he was appointed as the General Director of "BakElectroBytMash" State Industrial Company.

Political career

• 1977 — appointed as the Second Secretary of Azerbaijan Communist Party for Narimanov district of Baku
• 1979 — appointed a Minister of Light Industry of Azerbaijan SSR.
• 1982 — appointed as the Chairman of the State Planning Committee of Azerbaijan SSR and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR.
• January 1989 — appointed as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR.
• January 20, 1990 - Soviet troops enter Baku; Black January crackdown takes place.
• January 24, 1990 — While in Moscow, Mütallibov is appointed as the First Secretary of the Azerbaijan Communist Party.
• May 1990 — Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR elects Mütallibov as the first President of Azerbaijan SSR.
• December 1990 - at Mütallibov's initiative, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR officially renames the country to Azerbaijan Republic and adopts the Declaration of Sovereignty
• March 17, 1991 - under pressure from Mütallibov, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan votes for participation of Azerbaijan in the referendum on the fate of Soviet Union
• August 20, 1991 - Mütallibov becomes the only Soviet leader besides Zviad Gamsakhurdia to endorse the Soviet coup attempt of 1991 by issuing a statement in Tehran
• September, 1991 — Mütallibov dissolves the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and proposes constitutional changes for direct nationwide elections of president.
• September 8, 1991. Mütallibov elected a president in a single-candidate nationwide election.
• October 18, 1991 - Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopts the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan
• December, 1991 - In a nationwide referendum, Azerbaijani voters approve the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Supreme Council; Soviet Union is dissolved, Azerbaijan is recognized as independent state by Turkey, Israel, Romania and Pakistan.
• February 25, 1992 - Armenian forces with support of Russia's 366th Motor Rifle Regiment took control of Khojaly; fleeing residents become victims of the Khojaly Massacre.
• March 6, 1992 - Under pressure from Azerbaijan Popular Front due to mismanagement in defense of Khojaly and safety of its inhabitants, Mütallibov was forced to submit his resignation to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan.
• May 8, 1992 - Armenian forces take control of Shusha, the last Azerbaijani-populated town in Nagorno-Karabakh
• May 14, 1992 - Supreme Council of Azerbaijan, dominated by the former members of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, hears the case on Khojaly Massacre, relieves Mütallibov of any responsibility, reverses his prior resignation and restores him as the President of Azerbaijan.
• May 15, 1992. Armed forces led by the Azerbaijan Popular Front take control of the offices of the Parliament of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani State Radio and Television, thereby deposing Mütallibov, who leaves for Moscow; defunct Supreme Council of Azerbaijan is dissolved passing the duties to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan formed by equal representation of Azerbaijan Popular Front and former communists.
• May 17, 1992. Armenian forces take control of Lachin, Isa Gambar is elected as the new Chairman of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan and takes on the temporary duties of President of Azerbaijan until the national elections on June 17, 1992.

Exile

Ayaz Mütallibov has been in exile in Moscow since 1992.

• 1994 Mütallibov publishes a book called Karabakh — Black Garden in Moscow.
• April 2000 — Mütallibov's followers in Baku declare the formation of the new Civil Union Party
• 2003 - Mütallibov joins Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party (ASDP) and becomes its co-chairman in exile
• July 2012 - Mütallibov returns from exile allowed by President Ilham Aliyev.

Family and personal life

Mütallibov is married to Adila Mütallibova, has two sons, or rather had, Azad and Zaur, grandson Tahir and granddaughter Madina. His son Azad died of cancer on August 9, 2011 leaving only Zaur. Mutallibov arrived in Baku to attend his son’s funeral. It was his first visit to country after 1992.

See also

• President of Azerbaijan
• Politics of Azerbaijan
• National Assembly of Azerbaijan
• Foreign relations of Azerbaijan
• List of political parties in Azerbaijan

External links

• Ayaz Mütallibov