Ayaz Mutallibov

Ayaz Niyazi oghlu Mutallibov (12 May 1938 – 27 March 2022) was an Azerbaijani politician who served as the first president of Azerbaijan. He was the last leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, and first President of Azerbaijan from 18 May 1990 until 6 March 1992 and from 14 May until 18 May 1992. He rose through the ranks of the Azerbaijan Communist Party during Soviet Azerbaijan before becoming leader of the party in 1990. Later that year, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR elected Mutallibov as the first President of Azerbaijan SSR. In September 1991, amid the collapse of the Soviet Union and independence of Azerbaijan, Mutallibov declared himself President of Azerbaijan in an uncontested election. He was ousted from power in May 1992 when he tried to cancel the forthcoming presidential election.