Ayaz Mutallibov

Ayaz Niyazi oglu Mutallibov (Azerbaijani: Ayaz Niyazi oğlu Mütəllibov / Ајаз Нијази оғлу Мүтәллибов; Russian: Аяз Ниязович Муталибов, romanized: Ayaz Niyazovich Mutalibov, born 12 May 1938) is an Azerbaijani politician who served as the first president of Azerbaijan. He was the last leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, and the first President of independent Azerbaijan from October 1991 until May 1992.

Ayaz Mutallibov
Ayaz Mütəllibov
Mutallibov in 1991
1st President of Azerbaijan
In office 30 August 1991 – 6 March 1992
Prime Minister	Hasan Hasanov
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Yaqub Mammadov
In office 14 May 1992 – 18 May 1992
Prime Minister	Rahim Huseynov
Preceded by	Yaqub Mammadov
Succeeded by	Isa Gambar
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan
In office January 24, 1990 – September 16, 1991
General Secretary	Mikhail Gorbachev
Preceded by	Abdulrahman Vezirov
Succeeded by	Office Abolished
Full member of the 28th Politburo
In office 14 July 1990 – 29 August 1991
Personal details
Born	Ayaz Niyazi oglu Mutallibov (1938-05-12) 12 May 1938 Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Azerbaijani
Political party	Azerbaijan Communist Party, Social Democratic Party (Azerbaijan)
Spouse(s)	Adila Mutallibova ​ ( m. 1961; died 2019)
Children	2

Biography

Ayaz Mütallibov was born on May 12, 1938 in Baku to the family of a physician and later World War II veteran, Niyazi Aṣraf oğlu Mütallibov, and gynaecologist Kubra Mütallibova (died in 1988).[1] Both of his parents from Shamakhi.

In 1956, Ayaz Mütallibov graduated from the secondary school #189 in Baku. During his youth he was fond of jazz music. He was a member of the school volleyball team. In 1956–62, Mütallibov attended the Azerbaijan State Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry.[1]

In 1964, he became the director of the Baku Refrigerator Factory, and in 1974, he was appointed as the General Director of "BakElectroBytMash" State Industrial Company.[1]

Political career

• 1977 – appointed as the Second Secretary of Azerbaijan Communist Party for Narimanov district of Baku
• 1979 – appointed a Minister of Light Industry of Azerbaijan SSR.
• 1982 – appointed as the Chairman of the State Planning Committee of Azerbaijan SSR and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR.
• January 1989 – appointed as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR.
• January 20, 1990 – Soviet troops enter Baku; Black January crackdown takes place.
• January 24, 1990 – While in Moscow, Mütallibov is appointed as the First Secretary of the Azerbaijan Communist Party.
• May 19, 1990 – Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR elects Mütallibov as the first President of Azerbaijan SSR.
• December 1990 – at Mütallibov's initiative, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR officially renames the country to Azerbaijan Republic and adopts the Declaration of Sovereignty
• March 17, 1991 – under pressure from Mütallibov, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan votes for participation of Azerbaijan in the referendum on the fate of Soviet Union
• August 20, 1991 – Mütallibov becomes the only Soviet leader to endorse the Soviet coup attempt of 1991 by issuing a statement in Tehran
• September 1991 – Mütallibov dissolves the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and proposes constitutional changes for direct nationwide elections of president.
• September 8, 1991 – Mütallibov elected a president in a single-candidate nationwide election.
• October 18, 1991 – Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopts the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan
• December 1991 – In a nationwide referendum, Azerbaijani voters approve the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Supreme Council; Soviet Union is dissolved, Azerbaijan is recognized as an independent state by Turkey, Israel, Romania and Pakistan.
• February 25, 1992 – Armenian forces with the support of Russia's 366th Motor Rifle Regiment took control of Khojaly; fleeing residents become victims of the Khojaly Massacre.
• March 6, 1992 – Under pressure from Azerbaijan Popular Front due to mismanagement in defense of Khojaly and safety of its inhabitants, Mütallibov was forced to submit his resignation to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan.
• May 8, 1992 – Armenian forces take control of Shusha, the last Azerbaijani-populated town in Nagorno-Karabakh
• May 14, 1992 – Supreme Council of Azerbaijan, dominated by the former members of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, hears the case on Khojaly Massacre, relieves Mütallibov of any responsibility, reverses his prior resignation and restores him as the President of Azerbaijan.
• May 15, 1992 – Armed forces led by the Azerbaijan Popular Front take control of the offices of the Parliament of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani State Radio and Television, thereby deposing Mütallibov, who leaves for Moscow; defunct Supreme Council of Azerbaijan is dissolved passing the duties to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan formed by equal representation of Azerbaijan Popular Front and former communists.
• May 17, 1992 – Armenian forces take control of Lachin, Isa Gambar is elected as the new Chairman of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan and takes on the temporary duties of President of Azerbaijan until the national elections on June 17, 1992.

Exile

Ayaz Mütallibov was in exile in Moscow from May 1992 until July 2012.

In 1994 he published a book called Karabakh – Black Garden in Moscow.

In April 2000, his followers in Baku declared the formation of the new Civil Union Party. In 2003 he joined the Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party (ASDP) and became its co-chairman in exile.

In July 2012, Mütallibov returned from exile with the permission of President Ilham Aliyev.

Family and personal life

Mütallibov was married to Adila Mütallibova, who died in 2019.[2] They had two sons, Azad and Zaur, grandson Tahir and granddaughter Madina. His son Azad died of cancer on August 9, 2011 leaving only Zaur.[3] Mutallibov arrived in Baku to attend his son’s funeral. It was his first visit to country after 1992.

See also

• President of Azerbaijan
• Politics of Azerbaijan
• National Assembly of Azerbaijan
• Foreign relations of Azerbaijan
• List of political parties in Azerbaijan

References

1. "Mutalibov, Ayaz Niyazovich". Caucasian Knot. 14 May 2003. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
2. "Heydar Aliyev Foundation undertakes organizational issues of Adila Mutallibova's mourning ceremony". Report News Agency. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
3. Ayaz Mutallibov's son passes away

External links

• Ayaz Mütallibov

Party political offices
Preceded by Abdulrahman Vezirov	First Secretary of the Azerbaijan Communist Party 1990–1991	Succeeded by none
Political offices
Preceded by none	President of Azerbaijan October 30, 1991 – March 6, 1992	Succeeded by Yaqub Mammadov
Preceded by Yaqub Mammadov	President of Azerbaijan May 14, 1992 – May 18, 1992	Succeeded by İsa Qambar