CIS and GUAM observers declare elections in Azerbaijan free and democratic

As reported today by Sergey Lebedev, head of the CIS observation mission and Secretary of the CIS Executive Committee, the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan were transparent and democratic. The GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova Regional Cooperation Group) observation mission has also treated the above elections as were free and fair.

Let us remind you that the November 7 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan were attended by 2,480,205 voters, or 50.14 percent of the total number. About 690 candidates ran for 125 MP seats. According to preliminary data of the Central Election Commission (CEC), the "Eni Azerbaijan" Party (EAP) is in the confident lead in 74 out of 125 constituencies.

"The elections were characterized by transparency. Citizens of Azerbaijan had a choice and enjoyed the opportunity to make it," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Sergey Lebedev as saying.

According to his version, the shortcomings in the elections at those polling stations, which were monitored by CIS observers, were minimal. As an example, he pointed out, among other things, that at some stations two or three persons were additionally put on voters' lists, and not always observers were able to monitor the voting process from their seats.

Mr Lebedev also said that his mission received no claims or complaints.

Valery Chechelashvili, head of the GUAM mission and secretary general of this organization, also believes that the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan had been organized and conducted in accordance with international obligations and standards of democratic elections, including the obligations and standards of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, as well as the national legislation, regulations and procedures developed by the CEC of the Azerbaijan.

According to Mr Chechelashvili, as to the universal suffrage, organization of the elections and the work of election commissions at polling stations, the GUAM group of observers had no essential remarks, the "Trend" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that some observers at the elections, opposition activists and journalists have already stated some violations admitted in the course of the elections.

Thus, Asabali Novruzov, chairman of the Resource Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, told about violations with marking voters' fingers with ink and issuance of certificates to voters for presenting at their jobs at polling stations that they had voted.

The election office of a youth activist Bakhtiyar Gadzhiev, an independent candidate, reported about facts of mass voting of the persons, whose names were not on voters' lists, as well as about orders of policemen to observer of independent candidates to leave polling stations. Besides, it was reported about repeated voting by certain groups of people at different stations, cases of mass throw-in of ballot papers into ballot boxes by one person and active interference of representatives of executive bodies and policemen with the voting process.

However, the press service of the CEC, said, in its comments on these reports, that the commission did not receive any complaints about serious violations.