Why Aren't Municipal Elections Being Scheduled?

According to the Electoral Code, the term of municipal authorities in Azerbaijan is five years and expires on December 23 of this year. Voting should be announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC) 60 days before the elections. However, although only 52 days remain until the election date, the CEC has not issued any statements.

Zahid Oruj, chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Milli Majlis, told the media about the need to consider the existing legal reality:
"Currently, this is a situation defined by the Electoral Code. Article 211 of the Code states that the term of municipal authorities is five years, beginning on election day and ending on the day of the first meeting of the newly elected municipalities. If the election results in any municipal area are not recognized, the previously elected municipality retains its powers and is recognized as the municipal authority for the next term, with its activities considered lawful. The CEC should announce both the timing and the relevant calendar for the elections."

"More than 1,300 existing municipalities were automatically merged into 685, with each having a different number of members. In this case, it is necessary to set the election date as soon as possible to start the nomination of candidates, signature collection, registration, and campaigning. All instructions must be provided to ensure that each citizen can exercise their rights and freedoms. I believe the CEC will address this matter within the framework of the law, rather than based on subjective positions or interests," said the deputy.

Mirali Guseynov, chairman of the public association "Democracy Studies," commented on the situation in the program "Complex Issue." According to him, according to legislation, regular municipal elections were indeed scheduled for December 3 of this year. However, the time for scheduling and preparing for the elections has passed, which means there will be no elections this year.

There are two reasons for this. The first is technical — the state budget did not allocate funds to hold three elections (presidential, parliamentary, and municipal) in one year. The second reason is legal. The scheduling of municipal elections is not a constitutional requirement but is regulated by the Electoral Code. The scheduling of municipal elections is under the jurisdiction of the Central Election Commission.

"Of course, by law, the term of municipal authorities is five years, but the law is flexible enough to allow for the postponement of municipal elections to a later date," the expert stated.