Lala Shevket Azerbaijani political figure Date of Birth: 07.11.1951 Country: Azerbaijan

1. Childhood and Education
2. Medical Career
3. Political Activism and Government Service
4. Opposition Leader
5. Parliamentary Elections and Protests
6. Opposition Bloc and Continued Advocacy

Childhood and Education

Lala Shovket was born on November 7, 1951, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Her father, Shavkat Bey Muslim Bey oglu Hajiyev, was a philologist and historian, and one of the founders and leaders of the Azerbaijan Popular Freedom Party. Her mother, Siddiga Khanum Shikhaly Bey gizi Useynova, was a candidate of science and associate professor. She graduated from the 189th Baku secondary school in 1968 and entered the Azerbaijan Medical Institute, where she published her first scientific works.

Medical Career

After graduating from the medical institute, Shovket was sent to the Moscow Peoples' Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba, where she completed her internship in 1975. She then completed her clinical residency at the same institution and defended her PhD thesis in surgery at the age of 25. Shovket worked in the Moscow Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after N.V. Sklifosovsky from 1978, rising through the ranks from junior to senior research associate and leading specialist.

Political Activism and Government Service

The era of perestroika and the escalation of the Karabakh conflict influenced Shovket's entry into politics. She played a leading role in the preparation of a press conference in 1990 that brought international attention to the Soviet military action against Baku. In 1991, she co-founded the Movement for Democratic Reforms in the USSR. She also established the International Public-Political Movement "For Democratic Reforms in the Azerbaijan Republic and Protection of Human Rights."

In June 1993, Shovket was appointed State Secretary of Azerbaijan. She resigned in 1994 in protest against corruption. In 1995, she founded the Azerbaijan Liberal Party and became its chairman. She is considered the founder of liberal ideology in modern Azerbaijan.

Opposition Leader

Shovket ran as an independent presidential candidate in 2003. She resigned as chairman of the Liberal Party and established the National Unity Movement. She contested the 2003 presidential election, which was contested by international organizations like OSCE and the Council of Europe.

Parliamentary Elections and Protests

In 2005, Shovket's National Unity Movement and the Liberal Party participated in parliamentary elections. Shovket was initially declared a winner in the Yasamal district but her victory was annulled by the authorities. This led to protests, in which the police used excessive force against peaceful demonstrators. Shovket refused to participate in the "newly elected parliament" and sent an official statement to the Central Election Commission, protesting against the falsification of the elections.

Opposition Bloc and Continued Advocacy

In 2006, Shovket signed an agreement with the leaders of leading opposition parties to form the Political Bloc "Azadlyg" ("Freedom"). Through the bloc, she continued to advocate for democratic reforms and challenge the ruling regime.