AZERBAIJAN - Profile - Gaidar Aliyev.

Also called Haydar and in power since June 1993, President Aliyev controls Azerbaijan. He tries to decide all things, big and small. This slows decision making as some ministers only get to see him once every few months. When he is out of the country, "everything stops", according to a foreign ambassador in Baku. "People hardly even dare to fix a toilet without his approval". But Eldar Namazov, one of his close aides, says: "People gravitate towards him because he has such a huge personality".

Aged 77, Aliyev is vigorous and has few thoughts about his mortality, bristling at any discussion of who his successor might be. He was re-elected to a second five-year term on Oct. 11, 1998. Soon thereafter Elgar Kerimov, head of the new AzerShah political party, told reporters in Baku that Aliyev was so vital to Azerbaijan's stability that he should be made monarch under the constitution. Aliyev is grooming his only son, Ilham, to succeed him. Ilham is the first vice president of Socar and deputy chairman of the ruling Eni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) Party.

Aliyev uses tactics he applied as KGB chief of Baku in the 1970s. While harsh, these tactics have managed to create some degree of stability - the last failed coup attempt was in March 1995 - compared to the chaotic situation before. Between 1991 and June 1993, the country had four changes of government amid much bloodshed. Aliyev has consolidated his hold on power since that ceasefire. The key opposition figures are either in exile or in prison. Demonstrations by the tolerated opposition in May 2000 were broken up and were followed by a systematic crack down on their leaders. The demonstrators wanted electoral reforms and better human rights policy.

Azerbaijan fought a war with Armenia sporadically from 1989, ending in a ceasefire on May 12, 1994 as a result of which Armenia occupies about 20% of Azerbaijan's territory. To tilt the balance in favour of Baku as well as keep Russia and Iran on their guard, Aliyev has even urged the US to have military base facilities in Azerbaijan. But the request was promptly turned down.

Aliyev's focus is to turn Azerbaijan into a wealthy country rivalling the rich Arab Gulf oil states. Under him, Azerbaijan has the greatest number of E&P deals of any Caspian country. In dealing with the big powers, companies and the country's neighbours, Aliyev keeps in mind that petroleum and geo-politics have always been inter-related in Azerbaijan. Petroleum has been produced since 1870, with Baku then known as "the world's oil capital".