CEM&DT: Azerbaijan has no conditions for democratic municipal elections

The socio-political situation, human rights problems and, especially, the implementation of political freedoms do not allow Azerbaijan to hold fair and democratic local elections, states the release of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training (CEM&DT) disseminated on November 7.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Azerbaijan scheduled its regular municipal elections for December 23. The elections will be held in 1609 municipal councils.

The statement of the CEM&DT further states that the electoral campaign is conducted at the background of "suppression of political freedoms."

The document recalls that "after the presidential election on October 9, 2013, the country's authorities have intensified suppression of political freedoms, intensified repressions and further restricted the conditions for the work of NGOs and mass media."

The statement says that within "the campaign of pressing NGOs, a blow was delivered on the monitoring activities at elections." In particular, the CEM&DT is unable to carry out the monitoring of the elections.

The CEM&DT has put forward recommendations for holding democratic, free and fair elections, namely: an immediate release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience; termination of judicial cases and other forms of pressure on civil society activists, political parties and journalists; and ensuring the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, and the right of ownership.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.