Candidates refuse to participate in municipal elections

Today, one day before municipal elections in Azerbaijan, 400 members of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party have withdrawn their candidacies registered earlier for the participation in the municipal elections, the Caucasian Knot correspondent was told at the Azerbaijan Central Election Commission (CEC). Ali Akhmedov, executive secretary of the party, explained that they showed solidarity since the number of nominated candidates exceeded the number of posts in municipal structures.

According to Mr Saryev, a spokesman for the Azerbaijan CEC, only 89 candidates for the Musavat party out of 271 party members who were registered earlier have officially withdrawn their candidacies. A similar situation is with the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party ("the reformers"). Altogether 540 people are registered as candidates for "the reformers", according to the CEC's press service. "Only 92 "reformers" have refused to participate in the forthcoming elections," Mr Saryev said. The other candidates remain in the lists. It is worth reminding that these opposition parties announced they would boycott the elections.

In case of their election, activists of the opposition parties should abdicate from the posts in Azerbaijan municipal structures, members of these parties say. Otherwise the parties intend to expel them from their organizations.