View source for Vice President of Azerbaijan

{{Infobox Political post
|post            = Vice President
|body            = Republic of Azerbaijan
|termlength      = No Term Limit
|residence       = 
|style           = [[Madam President|Madam Vice President]]<br />[[Her Excellency]]
|image           = Mehriban Aliyeva on 2021 IDWGS (cropped).jpg
|imagesize       = 
|alt             = First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva
|incumbent       = [[Mehriban Aliyeva]]
|incumbentsince  = 21 February 2017
|appointer       = [[President of Azerbaijan|President]]
|last            =
|formation       = 2016
|inaugural       = [[Mehriban Aliyeva]]
|salary          = 
|website         = 
}}
{{Politics of Azerbaijan}}
The '''vice president of Azerbaijan''' is the second-highest constitutional office in [[Azerbaijan]], after the [[President of Azerbaijan|president]]. The first and current vice president is [[First Lady of Azerbaijan|First Lady]] [[Mehriban Aliyeva]]. [[Ilham Aliyev]], the president of Azerbaijan, created the position of vice president in 2017 and appointed his wife to the position.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|title=Azerbaijan's president has chosen a new VP — his wife|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/22/azerbaijans-president-has-chosen-a-new-vp-his-wife/|access-date=2021-07-11|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|author=Alba Prifti|date=2017-02-24|title=Azerbaijan's president creates a VP position - and appoints his wife|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/24/world/azerbaijan-vice-president-wife-trnd/index.html|access-date=2021-07-11|website=CNN|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Tamkin|first=Emily|title=Azerbaijan's President Makes His Wife Second in Command|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/21/azerbaijans-president-makes-his-wife-second-in-command/|access-date=2021-07-11|website=Foreign Policy|language=en-US}}</ref> 

If Aliyev were to step down, Aliyeva would become the president of Azerbaijan.<ref name=":4" /> Critics, many of whom have labelled Aliyev an authoritarian leader, said the creation of the position was intended to consolidate the family's dynastic rule in Azerbaijan.<ref name=":4" />

==List of Vice President==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! Portrait
! Name <br> {{small|(Birth/Death)}}
! Start term
! End term
! Took office
! Election
! Cabinet
! Party
|-
| colspan="9"=| office vacant (2016-2017)
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background:{{party colour|New Azerbaijan Party}};" | {{font color|white|'''1'''}}
| rowspan="2"| [[File:Mehriban Aliyeva on 2021 IDWGS (cropped).jpg|100x100px]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Mehriban Aliyeva]] <br> '''Mehriban Əliyeva''' <br> {{small|(born 1964)}}
| 21 February 2017
| Incumbent<br>{{small|no term limit}}
| {{ayd|2017|2|21}}
| {{endash}}
| [[Cabinet of Azerbaijan|Aliyev]]
| [[New Azerbaijan Party]]
|-
|}

==Time in office==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! Name
! colspan=2=|Start - End
! Took office
|-
! 1
| [[Mehriban Aliyeva]]
| 21 February 2017
| Present
| {{ayd|2017|2|21}}
|}

==Formation==
The office was established through a constitutional amendment that was approved by voters during a [[2016 Azerbaijani constitutional referendum|referendum]] on 26 September 2016.<ref name=":0" /> The amendment gives the president the power to appoint or dismiss the First Vice President and vice presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan.<ref name=":1">[http://en.president.az/azerbaijan/constitution The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan]{{cite constitution|article=103'1|section=1|polity=Azerbaijan|ratified=1995}}

''The First Vice-President and Vice-Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan are appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.''
</ref>

===List of vice presidents===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! No.
! Portrait
! width="150" |Name<br /><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! colspan="1" |Term of office
! Party
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" |''Post established on 26 September 2016''
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" |''Post vacant (26 September 2016 – 21 February 2017)''
|-
! 1
|  || [[Mehriban Aliyeva]]<br />(<small>Born 1964</small>) || 21 February 2017 – Present || [[New Azerbaijan Party]]
|-
|}

==Powers==
The Vice President will become acting president if the president resigns or is incapacitated. Prior to the position being established, those duties devolved to the prime minister, who is now second in line after the vice president.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=Mehriban Aliyeva appointed first vice-president of Azerbaijan|url=http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan-politics/domestic-news/mehriban-aliyeva-appointed-first-vice-president-of-azerbaijan.html|agency=APA Information Agency, APA|language=en|access-date=2017-02-21|archive-date=2017-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904021320/http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan-politics/domestic-news/mehriban-aliyeva-appointed-first-vice-president-of-azerbaijan.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In terms of the resignation of the [[President of Azerbaijan|President]] from his/her post ahead of time, extraordinary presidential elections should be held within 60 days. In this case, powers of the [[President of Azerbaijan|President of the Republic of Azerbaijan]] are exercised by the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan until the new President of the Republic is elected. If the First Vice President, who is acting as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, resigns or is incapacitated due to health problems, the status of First Vice President passes to the Vice President of Azerbaijan in a specified sequence.<ref>[http://en.president.az/azerbaijan/constitution Constitution of Azerbaijan]
{{cite constitution|article=105|section=1 and 2|polity=Azerbaijan|ratified=1995}}
</ref>

The Vice President of Azerbaijan can sign international interstate and intergovernmental agreements when the President delegates this authority to him/her.<ref>[http://en.president.az/azerbaijan/constitution Constitution of Azerbaijan]{{cite constitution|article=110'1|polity=Azerbaijan|ratified=1995}}</ref>

==Eligibility==
To be eligible to be vice president, a person is required to be a citizen of Azerbaijan, possess voting rights, have a university degree, and have no responsibilities to other states.<ref name="APA1">{{cite news |url=http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan-politics/domestic-news/what-powers-does-azerbaijan-s-first-vice-president-have.html |title=What powers does Azerbaijan's First Vice-President have? |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Azerbaijan Press Agency]] |access-date=21 February 2017 |archive-date=22 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222131315/http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan-politics/domestic-news/what-powers-does-azerbaijan-s-first-vice-president-have.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 21 February 2017, President [[Ilham Aliyev]] appointed his wife [[Mehriban Aliyeva]] to be the First Vice President.<ref>{{cite news|title=Meeting of Security Council held under chairmanship of President Ilham Aliyev VIDEO|url=http://azertag.az/en/xeber/1037089|access-date=11 March 2017|agency=Azertag|date=21 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> If Aliyev would step down, Aliyeva would become President of Azerbaijan.<ref name=":4" /> Critics said the creation of the position was intended to consolidate the family's [[Hereditary dictatorship|dynastic rule]] in Azerbaijan.<ref name=":4" />

==Immunity==
The Vice President of Azerbaijan enjoys the right of personal immunity during the whole term of his/her powers. The Vice President may not be arrested, searched, or personally examined except cases when he/she has been caught red-handed. Immunity of the Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan may be terminated only by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan upon the presentation of the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan.<ref>[http://en.president.az/azerbaijan/constitution Constitution of Azerbaijan]
{{cite constitution|article=106'1|polity=Azerbaijan|ratified=1995}}
</ref>

==Secretariat of the First Vice President==
The Secretariat of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan is composed of the following members:
* Altay Hasanov – Head of the Secretariat of the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
* Mehdi Dadashov – Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the First Vice President
* Yusuf Mammadaliyev – Assistant to the First Vice President
* Elchin Amirbayov – Assistant to the First Vice President
* Gunduz Karimov – Assistant to the First Vice President
* [[Emin Huseynov (economist)|Emin Huseynov]] – Assistant to the First Vice President
* Khalid Ahadov – Assistant to the First Vice President
* Andrei Sipilin – Assistant to the First Vice President<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.president.az/first-vice-president/services|title=The Secretariat of the First Vice-President|website=en.president.az|access-date=2021-09-09}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[President of Azerbaijan]]
* [[Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Vice presidents of Azerbaijan| ]]
[[Category:2017 establishments in Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Government of Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Vice presidents|Azerbaijan]]