Petar Georgiev Kanev
Versions of names: Петър Георгиев Кънев
Bulgaria
As a member of the Bulgarian Parliament, Petar Georgiev Kanev participates in numerous international parliamentary friendship groups, including the Bulgaria-Azerbaijan group as a member and the Bulgaria-Russia group, which he chairs. Kanev is part of the openly pro-Russian Bulgarian Socialist Party. He also serves as vice-president and head of the Bulgarian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) and was part of its mission to Azerbaijan's snap parliamentary election in September 2024. Prior to this, Kanev observed the February 2024 presidential election and the November 2015 parliamentary election in Azerbaijan.
Corresponding elections
legitimate
legitimate
In Azerbaijan's September 1, 2024, snap parliamentary election, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, narrowly maintained its majority with 68 out of 125 seats. Held early to avoid conflicting with COP29 in Baku, the election saw limited opposition with 44 seats won by "independents" broadly aligned with the regime. Voting extended to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time since 1994, underscoring Azerbaijan's control of the region. Despite a peaceful election day, international observers highlighted a lack of democratic standards, with low voter turnout (37%) and substantial restrictions on political freedoms, media access, and independent observation. The EPDE and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) criticized the election’s credibility, noting extensive repression of opposition and the presence of fake observers.