Heads of the OSCE/ODIHR and OSCE PA missions on the voting process

The observers of the early presidential elections in Azerbaijan are: the mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), the CIS Parliamentary Assembly, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, and observers from other countries and parliaments.

Artur Gerasimov (Ukraine), Special Coordinator and head of the OSCE Short-term observer mission, said that three hundred OSCE/ODIHR and OSCE PA observers are currently monitoring in all regions of the country. "We have clear principles, standards and procedural rules. We are assessing whether the elections were held in accordance with these rules. These rules are reflected in the Copenhagen Document adopted in 1990.

In addition to monitoring, the mission members held meetings with representatives of civil society, experts, and media representatives. We have formed an idea of the context in which the elections will be held," he said. All observers will fill out and submit a report on the results of the observation and the Mission will form its opinion based on it, Gerasimov added.

The head of the OSCE PA delegation, Vice-President Daniela de Ridder (Germany), in turn, said that the voting is taking place actively. "We will observe the electoral process during the day, and after that, the closing and counting of votes," she said.

To the journalists' question, how appropriate is it to hold elections in a situation where journalists are in prison?  Gerasimov said that there are long-term observers in the country. "When the final report is published, you will see a reflection of these issues," he said.

Daniela De Ridder, in turn, said that she herself had once been a journalist. "That's why I know very well how important a free press is. Those who have been watching the elections in Azerbaijan for a long time are well aware of the conditions under which elections are held in the country," she said.