Azerbaijanis react ahead of polls that critics slam as 'imitation' of change Azerbaijanis react ahead of Sunday's legislative election decried by the opposition as a sham vote that will further strengthen authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev's grip on power. Opposition leaders and independent analysts say Aliyev, 58, seeks to address growing public discontent over an economic slowdown and to improve his government's image by replacing discredited old elites with younger technocrats. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES from Azerbaijanis