Eldar Namazov: The CEC has no grounds to reject the registration of Ibrahimbayov

Today, documents of a presidential candidate in the presidential elections in Azerbaijan, the chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) Rustam Ibrahimbayov, were submitted to the CEC.  The documents were presented by Elman Mammadzadeh, an authorized representative of the initiative group of voters, which nominated Ibrahimbayov as a presidential candidate. 

According to Eldar Namazov, the head of the NCDF Office, the documents of Ibrahimbayov were accepted by a relevant department of the CEC and the law, and should be reviewed within five days.

Namazov said the delay in the submission of documents was related to the forced absence of Ibrahimbayov in Azerbaijan, and the necessity of the signing to be done by the candidate himself. It took time for the paperwork and notarized translation, into Azerbaijani, in Baku.

Among the documents submitted to the CEC, there was a reference stating that Ibrahimbayov  has no obligations to other states, as well as information on  his appeal to the Russian authorities  with a request to stop his Russian citizenship.

Narimanov district municipality has not stamped the minutes of the meeting of the initiative group of voters. However, according to Namazov, another option, provided for by the legislation, was used. The protocol should have a seal from the legal person in the room where meeting took place.

According to Namazov, the CEC has no reason, not any ground, not to issue signature lists to collect signatures in support of Ibrahimbayov.

Namazov said he did not have exact information why the Russian authorities have delayed the termination of Ibrahimbayov’s Russian citizenship.

However, he added that according to Russian law, such issues are considered throughout the year, but there were precedents when the formalities were observed during one day, for example, when Gerard Depardieu was granted citizenship.

However, the decision of the NCDF to nominate an additional candidate remains in force.

Namazov refuted statements in some media about the artificial prolonging of the resolution of this issue. He said that even the nomination of Ibrahimbayov, whose candidacy did not cause much controversy, was delayed for almost a month.

Under the present situation, when it was necessary to make a choice between the candidates,  the support of candidates requires at least 4-5 days for consultation and coordination between the political forces, youth movements, non-party members NCDF.

Therefore, it is important to prepare carefully the question, and, on 26 August, to take a consolidated decision, said Namazov.—06C—