Incumbent Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Thursday registered an overwhelming victory in the presidential election while securing a third five-year term, partial results showed.
Aliyev gained almost 85 percent of the votes, leaving his main opposition challenger Jamil Hasanli in a distant second place, Xinhua reported.
"The presidential election in Azerbaijan was a triumph for democracy," Aliyev said through a televised national address early Thursday. "The fact that this vote was free and transparent is another important step toward democracy.".
Aliyev thanked the people of Azerbaijan for putting their confidence in him. "I assure the people of Azerbaijan that I will further serve the people with dignity, and protect the interests of the Azerbaijani state."
