21 February 2017•Update: 22 February 2017
By Ruslan Rehimov
BAKU, Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva as the country’s first vice president Tuesday, according to an official statement from the presidency.
Azerbaijanis voted to amend the country's Constitution on Sept. 26, 2016. The amendments created new leadership positions, including a first vice presidency and a number of deputy presidents.
The president’s term was also extended from five to seven years.
The new first vice president post also carries immunity from prosecution.
Aliyeva, 52, studied at the Moscow State Medical Institute, according to her official website.
She has been a member of the New Azerbaijan Party since 2004 and the party's deputy chairwoman since 2013, it said.
