Draft:Heydar Aliyev
| Heydar Aliyev | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Heydar Aliyev |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Azerbaijan |
Heydar Aliyev born 10 May 1923 and died 12 December 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States was a prominent politician and statesman of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He served as the President of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003 AD. His official titles are "Great Leader" and "National Leader". Following him, his son Ilham Aliyev became the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Life and Education
Heydar Aliyev, son of Alireza, was born on 10 May 1923 in the city of Nakhchivan in a working-class family. In 1939, after completing secondary education at the Nakhchivan Teacher Training College, he entered the architecture department of the Azerbaijan Industrial University (current "Azerbaijan State Oil Academy"); but due to the outbreak of war, he was unable to complete his studies. He graduated in History from Azerbaijan State University in 1957. Completed advanced special studies in the city of Leningrad (current "Saint Petersburg") from 1964 to 1967. Heydar Aliyev resigned from his positions in October 1987 in protest of the political line of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and its General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev personally[1].
Leadership of Soviet Azerbaijan
Aliyev was elected as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan in a public session held on 12 July 1969, amidst an anti-corruption campaign in the Soviet Union. Aliyev made progress in the fight against corruption: a number of individuals were sentenced to imprisonment. And in 1975, five managers of farms and factories, along with a group of others, were sentenced to death for severe corruption. In the early 1980s, Aliyev, in a planned effort to curb an autonomous corruption-based scheme, banned the children of certain legal employees from attending the Republic's Law School. In 1977, he traveled to Iran: twice to Mashhad and once to Karbala.
During his leadership period in the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, Aliyev's efforts led to a significant increase in the rate of economic, social, and cultural growth in the Azerbaijan SSR. Aliyev is perhaps the most successful leader of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He raised the profile of the deprived republic and continuously promoted Azerbaijanis to senior positions.
On 22 November 1982, Yuri Andropov promoted Aliyev from candidate to full membership in the Soviet Politburo and appointed him as the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, responsible for transport and social services. Thus, Aliyev attained the highest position ever achieved by an Azerbaijani in the Soviet Union.
In 1987, Aliyev was forced to resign from this position amidst corruption allegations made against him by Mikhail Gorbachev. Despite this, a CIA report indicates that Heydar Aliyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union and a full member of the Politburo, publicly committed to combating bribery and corruption among key government personnel and the economy of the Soviet Union. The report mentions that his colleagues understood that his intention to combat corruption was serious, and his commitment to anti-corruption became his trademark in the Soviet Union [2].
Presidency
Following the independence of the country, he served as the President of Azerbaijan during the years 1993 to 2003 [3]. On 3 October 1993, as a result of a nationwide vote, Heydar Aliyev was elected as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On 11 October 1998, by winning the election, with high voter turnout, with 77 percent of the votes, he was again elected as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev refrained from participating in the election due to his health problems, while consenting to the candidacy for the 15 October 2003 presidential election[4].
Death
Heydar Aliyev died at the age of 80. He eventually stepped down from power in 2003 AD due to illness, and his son Ilham Aliyev was elected to this position[5]. Heydar Aliyev's health became somewhat compromised in 1999, when he underwent a major heart bypass surgery in the United States at the Cleveland Clinic. He later underwent prostate surgery and hernia surgery. On 6 August, Aliyev returned to the United States for treatment of congestive heart failure and kidney problems. He stepped down from the presidency in early October 2003 and appointed his son Ilham as the candidate of his party for the presidential election. On 12 December 2003, President Heydar Aliyev died at the Cleveland Clinic. He was buried in the Alley of Honor cemetery in Baku[6].