State-building in a transition period: The case of Azerbaijan

In the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet empire in late 1991, Azerbaijan embarked on a course to shake off the remnants of communism, defend its survival and build a politically and economically viable state. This paper traces the varied political, economic and social challenges Azerbaijan faced in its transition from socialism to capitalism. The transition period in Azerbaijan has been protracted and was complicated by the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the inability of the political elite to instill democratic rules and values to the government institutions. After more than a decade of independence, the new republic cannot be called a democracy, but there has been some measurable progress on both the economic and political fronts. Whether or not that progress can be sustained and exactly what kind of government will emerge as Azerbaijan completes is transition are matters of concern because of the geostrategic importance of the country. While Azerbaijan has started down the path of modernization, its success as a democracy is by no means assured and its citizens continue to suffer. The brightness or dimness of the future depends on the skills and objectives of the country's leadership as well as their willingness to combat and thwart corruption at all levels. Several recommendations are offered to speed up and improve the transition in Azerbaijan.