CEC Has Right to Deprive MP of His Status for "Bad Behavior"

Baku / 12.01.18 / Turan: Yesterday President Ilham Aliyev signed the law on introducing changes and additions to the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan.

Among the innovations that caused an ambiguous reaction in the expert community is the norm that empowers the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to deprive a member of parliament of the MP status for violating the requirements of the law that "members of the Milli Majlis personally exercise the right to vote."

The CEC can also deprive an MP of the status if he rudely violates the rules of ethical conduct established for a parliamentarian.

An MP may appeal the decisions of the CEC in the Appeals and Supreme Courts. In cases where the CEC decision remains in force, new elections for this district are appointed.

Experts believe this rule undermines parliamentary immunity. However, according to MP Fazil Mustafa, the CEC does not independently decide on depriving an MP of immunity. The CEC merely approves the decision of the parliament.

At the same time, the parliamentarian noted that the mentioned norm caused disputes in the parliament. Several MPs suggested that the question of depriving MPs of their mandate be taken only by the Constitutional Court. However, this proposal was not supported, Mustafa told Turan.

According to Bashir Suleymanly, expert on election monitoring, the innovations will hamper the process of monitoring and fixing violations.

Thus, from now on, the procedure for checking documents entering the polling station is canceled. Also, the rule of labeling voters with ultraviolet ink is avoided in order to avoid repeated voting at different sites.

The ballot boxes will no longer be sealed, and they will simply be locked. -03D-