From the DPRK and the U.S. to Azerbaijan: how relatives are in power
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has appointed his wife Mehriban the first Vice-President. According to experts, this means that Aliyev’s wife actually became the second most influential person in the state after the President.
Aliyev himself explained his decision successes and the important role of spouses in the country. “Mehriban Aliyeva for many years plays an important role in the socio-political, cultural, and international activities. In General, it also carries out multilateral and successful activities,” Aliyev said on Tuesday at a meeting of the security Council, introducing his wife.
In September last year, the Constitution was amended, providing for the introduction of the post of first Vice-President and Vice-presidents.
The laws of most modern States directly or indirectly prohibit government officials to appoint their spouses or relatives to public office.
However, in some countries where society is characterized by a strong dynastic tradition and tribalism, the authorities find ways to circumvent these prohibitions.
A shining example of how the state circumvent legislative prohibitions and appointed his relatives to public office, are post-Soviet countries of Central Asia.
Tajikistan
In January 2016, the daughter of President Emomali Rahmon Ozoda, was appointed chief of staff of the President. Her husband, Jamoliddin Nuraliev is the first Deputy head of the national Bank of the country.
The eldest son of President Rahmon, Rustam Emomali was the head of anti-corruption Agency of Tajikistan, being the youngest General in the CIS.
In January 2017 Emomali Rahmon picked up the son of a new position: now 29-year-old Rustam became the mayor of Dushanbe.
Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan in the public service are the grandchildren of President Nursultan Nazarbayev: 31-year-old Nurali Aliyev is the Deputy mayor of Astana, and the 26-year-old Aysultan Nazarbayev is the Ministry of defence of Kazakhstan and does not hide his ambitions.
My first job — I am the grandson of presidentially Nazarbayev
Son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev, Nazarbayev during the marriage with the eldest daughter of the President Dariga quickly moved up the career ladder, was the first Deputy head of the national security Committee and first Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs.
However, he fell into disgrace, fled the country, was sentenced in absentia, arrested in Austria and eventually was found dead in a prison cell.
Daughter Dariga Nazarbayev held the position of Deputy Prime Minister and now heads the Senate Committee on foreign Affairs, defence and security.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
For Kyrgyzstan, the system of nepotism was characteristic in former times, before the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
In 2005, two children of the first President, Askar Akayev, won seats in Parliament.
Replaced Askar Akayev, Kurmanbek Bakiyev appointed his brother Janysh for the post of security chief, and his son Maxim Bakiyev in 2009-2010 he headed the Central Agency on development, investments and innovations.
Experts say that Uzbekistan is run by one big family, almost all the key positions are relatives of certain officials. Clan system for many years was headed by Islam Karimov, whose death became known in September last year.
The President’s daughter Gulnara Karimova in 2010-2011 he held the post of Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Spain, but later appeared in the center of a corruption scandal involving money laundering.
North Korea
Nepotism is typical of other Asian countries. In the DPRK, the ruling dynasty is the dynasty. Close relatives of the head of the DPRK often occupy key positions in government and other public bodies. At the same time, North Korea characterized the high-profile resignation and dismissal.
So, in 2013, the uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-UN, Jang sung-Taek, who is married to the younger sister of Kim Jong-Il, was dismissed as Deputy Chairman of the National defence Commission of the DPRK, and later executed on charges of attempting a coup d’etat.
The scandals associated with providing certain preferences to relatives of heads of state happen in Western countries.
So, a wave of criticism in the United States led to the decision of President Donald trump to appoint to the post one of the senior advisers at the White house of his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The U.S. Department of justice concluded that the decision to trump to appoint the Advisor of his son-in-law is not contrary to American law, particularly the law against nepotism.
Federal law against nepotism prohibits a US President to appoint relatives to positions in government agencies, however, insisted the team trump, this law does not apply to work in the White house.
Former Greek Finance Minister Giorgos Papakonstantinou in 2012 he faced accusations of nepotism, he was suspected of harboring foreign accounts of their relatives.
Media reported that the names of three relatives of the ex-Minister has suddenly disappeared from the list of Greeks who keep their money in Swiss banks.
In 2015, the court found the former Minister guilty that he removed the names of three relatives from the so-called “Lagarde list”.
Papaconstantinou was sentenced to one year in prison with suspended sentence for three years.
In early February, the candidate in presidents of France from the party “the Republicans” françois Fillon had to apologize to the citizens for the scandal in which was involved his wife Penelop.
Fillon blamed the fact that he during his tenure as MP designed the wife to the post of assistant, and she received from the state budget paid for work that allegedly was not made: Penelop office earned 3677 euros per month.