CNIS Offers to Return to the Proportional System

Center for National and International Studies, (CNIS), published a report entitled "Law on Political Parties of Azerbaijan Republic", which is the first comprehensive study of law and party system development in Azerbaijan.

       The report prepared by the CNIS Director, Leila Aliyeva, analyzes the laws governing political parties, as well as political and economic factors affecting this process. The author has analyzed the degree of correspondence of legislation on political parties to international standards, reflected in documents and manuals for European and international organizations, consisting of several parts and recommendations. 

     The report also reflects on analysis of recent amendments of the law on political parties and their implications for the development of a multiparty system in Azerbaijan.

     Aliyeva came to the conclusion that, despite the positive nature of the provision on budgetary funding of political parties, the distribution of this funding will not contribute to the development of a multiparty system, but rather to consolidate the system of political patronage.

     Among the recommendations aimed at creating conditions for the development of political parties, the report points to the necessity of transition from a majoritarian to a proportional or mixed electoral system, ensuring a balanced composition of election commissions, freedom of assembly, etc.

     To increase the role of political parties in Parliament, it was proposed to reduce the role of the required minimum of deputies to create a faction of deputies from the current 25 to five members, also to introduce quotas in the allocation of leadership positions in committees, as well as to restore the live broadcast of parliament on TV.

      While the allocation of financial support, it is proposed to identify the basic amount for registered political parties, which scored a minimum of 0, 5% in the last election, and above the base amount, to the parties that scored at least 1% and one seat in parliament in one of the last three elections.

      The report contains a number of recommendations aimed at improving women's participation in political parties and political governance. Among them are noted the financial incentives of parties, in which the number of women candidates in the election exceeds 20% , if the transition to a mixed electoral system is implemented. It was also proposed to introduce quotas for women's participation in elections as well as within the parties, to impose sanctions against parties that violate women's right to political participation, and which greatly disrupted the gender balance, etc.

     Research was supported by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw. --0--