CIS IPA presents interim report on the presidential election in Azerbaijan
Baku, September 12 (AZERTAC). The observation mission of the CIS Interparliamentary assembly for the presidential election in Azerbaijan headed by chairman of the Committee on the Commonwealth of Independent States and Links with Compatriots of the Russian Federal Assembly’s State Duma Leonid Slutsky has presented an interim report on the results of a monitoring of the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan.
The report says that the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly received an invitation from the Chairman of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan to participate in the observation of the run-up to and conduct of the presidential election in Azerbaijan.
To ensure the successful operations of the international observers of the CIS IPA in August 2013, an expert group including highly-qualified scholars and specialists from the higher educational institutions of Saint-Petersburg and Baku embarked on the preparation of analytical and information material for the international observers of the CIS IPA.
The interim report says the experts focused their attention on the analysis of the legislation regulating the presidential election and its compliance with the international electoral standards, analysis of the political system of Azerbaijan and its important institutions; history of elections in Azerbaijan, system of election bodies, activity of state bodies from the organizational, technical and financial points of view, activity of the Central Election Commission.
The expert group came to a conclusion that procedures concerning the initial stage of presidential election stipulated by the electoral legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan were observed by the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan and other state bodies in accordance with the existing norms, equal attitude to all persons who wished to take part in the election.
The report says that the CEC of Azerbaijan is actively working to ensure electoral rights of the citizens temporarily living abroad. To participate in the elections at the polling stations located in foreign countries, a citizen of Azerbaijan must fill in an electronic form in the websites of the Azerbaijani embassies. Afterwards, a citizen receives an electronic notification on the possibility to vote in the territory of the foreign electoral precinct.
The monitoring of the initial stage (August 1 - September 9 2013) revealed that the media put preference on the articles dealing with the designation of the election date, coverage of the opinion poll results, conduct of information seminars, activity of electoral commissions, activity of all structures of Azerbaijan towards voters` lists, signature gathering in support of candidates.
”The opportunity to watch happenings in the polling stations via the webcams helps to ensure high degree of transparency of the electoral process,” the report read.
The report found that the run-up to the election is in full compliance with the dates set by the Central Election Commission’s Calendar Plan.
The election campaign in the Republic of Azerbaijan is as yet going on in a calm and constructive atmosphere and in line with international standards of conducting elections and national electoral legislation, the international observers` group claims. Equality of all participants of the electoral process, transparency of the activity of government bodies, sufficient volume of financing was ensured in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The report says restrictions of active and passive election rights set by the existing legislation are in line with the international standards and accepted internationally.
The analysis showed that the national election legislation including the legal regulation of the run-up and conduct of the presidential election is in compliance with the international election standards. It regulates all stages of the elections, ensures that all requirements of international documents are observed.
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