FRENCH OBSERVERS POSITIVELY ESTIMATED 15 OCTOBER ELECTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN
They said that, as the representatives of France at the Council of Europe, “we have been in Baku for 8 days to prepare a report for PACE on the Presidential elections in Azerbaijan and conducted observation in two groups in over 30 stations in the south regions of Country. This promoted us to realize the ongoing political and pre-election processes in Azerbaijan”.
Noting that they assisted admission of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe, the senators said they were eyewitnesses of both negative and positive cases. Generally, the elections had positive impression on us and we saw quick development of democracy in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis are intellectual nation. All these are normal aspects of the elections.
The senators noted high conduction of the elections in the Masalli, Lankaran and Astara regions. The members of election commissions are experienced and with great practice. They also stressed that a detailed report will be prepared by the CE monitoring group who will come to Baku shortly. They expressed satisfaction with the conditions set up free, fair, democratic, and transparent elections.
Mr. Daniel Gulen also touched upon the irregularities at the election stations, underlining that in several stations, supporters of Musavat Party violated the rules, on which they are to report as well.
He also treated the 16 October disorders, stressing they feel regret for these facts. “We also watched those events. Every candidate should accept his failure. I met with each candidate before the elections. I asked them should they fail at the elections, what they would do. All of them said they would congratulate the winner. Only Isa Gambar told he would not agree with such conclusion and would struggle. We saw how he “struggled.”
At the end of the news conference, some opposition media representatives called the French senators “bribed” and left the conference. In this regard, Mr. Daniel Gulen said: “Their actions contradict democracy and in such cases in France they should stand before courts. Supporters of democracy should observe ethic principles”.
The French observers noted that the attempts to forcibly change conclusions of the elections are senseless.
Then, the observers responded media representatives’ questions.
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