In Azerbaijan, OSCE/ODIHR observation mission at presidential election opened

On August 29, in Azerbaijan, the mission of the OSCE/ODIHR, which will observe the presidential election, started working.

The mission, led by Tana de Zulueta from Italy, includes 12 international experts in the field of elections, media, and law. On September 9, the mission will be joined by 30 long-term observers who will be monitoring the regions of the country. About 280 short-term observers will arrive directly to the voting of October 9.

The aim of the OSCE/ODIHR observers is to assess the compliance of the presidential election with the Azerbaijan's commitments to OSCE, international standards for democratic elections, and local laws. This was reported by Tana de Zulueta.

The head of the mission has also emphasized that their attention will be focused on ensuring the freedom of assembly. Meanwhile, she has added that the aim of the mission is "not a criticism, but monitoring of the election."

Anar Mamedli, the head of the "Centre for Monitoring Elections and Democracy Training" (CMEDT), is sceptical about the work of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission. According to his version, the observers were not able to record violations of rights of the contenders at the nomination stage.

Anar Mamedli has also pointed to unequal conditions of holding the election campaign, promotion of the current president by TV Channels, highlight of the opposition in negative, and obstacles for the opposition to organize activities in the regions.