The rig wig

The current post-election drama in Azerbaijan is similar to what happened after its 2003 presidential polls --rigged elections, denials and brokered statements.

The ruling party in Azerbaijan claimed victory on Sunday, with opposition parties saying the elections were rigged. The U.S. issued a statement saying the elections were partly rigged, with Russia saying it was legit, as I said they would do.

So the big question is -- what happens from here? Perhaps nothing.

The opposition is trying to create a scenario that Ukraine saw in 2002 -- the "Orange Revolution," which saw unhappy Ukrainians ousting elitist and ex-communist leader Leonid Kuchma.

But for a revolution, you need the people to participate. Unlike the Ukrainians, the Azeris don't want it. Ukrainians were desperate for a change -- Kuchma had exploited them as much as he could, and in Viktor Yushchenko, the new leader, people saw hope.

Azeris are happy with current president Ilham Aliyev, and people don't see a leader like Yushchenko to oppose him.

The U.S., being the U.S. and the preserver of democracy, we had to issue a statement saying that Azerbaijan's elections were partly rigged. But the U.S. won't push or support a revolution, like it did in Ukraine, because its current economic relationship with Azerbaijan is just at the right level.

The happy Russians praised the elections -- they perhaps don't know what's right anyways, being the world champ in rigged elections. It went to the extent to say that all elections are rigged, and the same applies to Azerbaijan, and its legitimacy cannot be questioned.

Some poll recounts have been issued and results nullified, but with the public happy and unwilling to help the opposition, the current drama is fire without any smoke. It should last a few days and then dry out.