Vice President of Azerbaijan


The Vice-President of Azerbaijan is the second-highest constitutional office in Azerbaijan, after the President. The first Vice-President is First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

Formation

The office was established through a constitutional amendment that was approved by voters during a referendum on 26 September 2016. The amendment gives the president the power to appoint or dismiss the First Vice-President and Vice-Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

List of Vice Presidents

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.
In terms of resignation of the 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 the Republic of Azerbaijan is 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.
Vice President of Azerbaijan can sign international interstate and intergovernmental agreements when the President delegates this authority to him/her.

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.
On 21 February 2017, President Ilham Aliyev appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva to be First Vice-President.

Immunity

The Vice-President of Azerbaijan enjoys the right of personal immunity during the whole term of his/her powers. The vice-president of the Azerbaijan Republic may not be arrested, searched, 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.

Secretariat of the First Vice President

The Secretariat of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan composed of following members: