Stylish and polished in Azerbaijan

Stylish and polished in Azerbaijan

Rufat Abbasov, Reuters/Baku, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has an image problem: it is ruled by a dynasty,
corrupt officials squander its oil wealth, police beat up
protesters and it has just held an election Western observers
said was spoiled by fraud.

But it has a public relations ace up its sleeve.

Enter First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, fashion icon, charity
worker and philanthropist who is bringing a soft-focus glow to
the hard face of Azerbaijan's ruling elite.

Aliyeva, who trained as an eye doctor, is now a member of
parliament after winning more than 92 percent of the votes in her
constituency in an election earlier this month.

The victory underlined her huge popularity in the ex-Soviet
state on the Caspian Sea. Her biggest fans are among the poor who
hope some of the glamour -- and wealth -- that she represents
will rub off on them.

"She promised to build new schools, sports centers, create new
jobs and we're sure she'll do it," said Solmaz Kassymova, from
the village of Tyurkan on the outskirts of the capital, part of
the constituency the First Lady will represent.

"For over a decade we couldn't get anyone to fix our problems
with the water supply. There wasn't an official we hadn't
appealed to. But all we had to do was mention this problem once
to Mehriban and it was fixed within days."

Azerbaijan is a Muslim state of 8 million people. It supplies
a growing volume of oil to world markets but 49 percent of the
population lives below the poverty line.

The Nov. 6 parliamentary election gave victory to supporters
of President Ilham Aliyev. Western observers said the vote was
not free or fair because of ballot-rigging and police violence
against opposition demonstrators.

Role model

However, Aliyev -- elected to succeed his father Haydar in
2003 -- is popular with voters and analysts say his wife deserves
much of the credit.

"Mehriban Aliyeva's activities as First Lady help build a
positive image for the authorities," said political analyst Ilgar
Mamedov. "Her high popularity ratings ... have helped boost the
president's rating," he said.

Aliyeva does not disclose her date of birth but she is
believed to be in her early 40s. She has two daughters of student
age and an eight-year-old son, also called Haydar. Her staff
refused requests for an interview.

Tall and slim, she wears designer outfits and, usually, a pair
of fashionable sunglasses.

Her most visible role is as head of the Haydar Aliyev
Charitable Fund, which builds new schools and orphanages.

A documentary on local television showed the First Lady
handing out gifts and cuddling small children on a visit to an
orphanage.

Many people believe she is an influential political player
too, advising her husband on important decisions. Some observers
even predict she will make a presidential bid herself early next
decade.

Analysts say she is just starting out in politics and it is
impossible to know how much real influence she has in
Azerbaijan's opaque political decision-making process.

Many voters say they would be delighted if their First Lady
became president. "I believe she is a national institution and
when I'm talking to foreign visitors I list her name after oil,
caviar and culture," said student Shahin Akperov.

REUTERS

GetRTR 3.00 -- NOV 28, 2005 08:06:21