ODIHR OSCE elections in Azerbaijan held in an atmosphere dominated by one political force

Baku/17.09.13/Turan : ODIHR observation mission for the presidential elections in Azerbaijan published its first progress report on the monitoring of the election campaign.

As noted in the preamble of the document , the previous ODIHR recommendations on the improvement of election practices were not taken into account , except for the simplification of procedures for complaints.

The formula formation of election commissions at all levels of the de facto provides an advantage in decision-making parliamentary majority ( that is, the ruling party " Yeni Azerbaijan ").

At the same time , positively assessed was technical training by CEC for the elections.

ODIHR OSCE mission's interlocutors expressed concern about the media environment , including government control over all national television channels.

A number of NGOs are going to observe the elections . However, their representatives note that changes in the law limit the ability to monitor the elections.

Capability of the monitoring of elections and democracy training are limited because of the lack of legal personality .

Further, the report notes that the forthcoming elections are conducted in an environment dominated by one political party . Thus , with reference to the reports of international organizations indicated that the changes made in 2012 and 2013 . amendments to the legislation have contributed to further restrict freedom of expression and assembly .

In particular, there are stricter penalties for organizing and participating in unsanctioned demonstrations, and additional bureaucratic steps were introduced to financing NGOs from abroad.

The parliament is dominated by the party led by President Ilham Aliyev, which has 70 of the 125 seats. A group of 42 independent deputies also generally vote in favor of the ruling party .

Opposition parties Musavat and Azerbaijani Popular Front Party ( PFP ) lost their parliamentary representation in the 2010 elections . In 2013, opposition forces have created the National Council of Democratic Forces ( NCDF ) in an attempt to put forward a single candidate.

Pushed as a single candidate Rustam Ibrahimbekov was not approved on the grounds that he has dual citizenship, has not got 10 years of qualification of permanent residence in Azerbaijan and has not provided sufficient grounds that he has no liabilities in other states.

Ibrahimbekov, although challenged in the courts, but has not achieved the access to participation in the elections.

NCDF nominated Jamil Hasanli as candidate, who was registered .

As regards the pre-election campaign, it started on September 16 and will end at 08:00 on October 8. Several candidates have expressed concern about the declining period of the election campaign and the limited access to television . This gives the incumbent a disproportionate advantage in the context of lighting his frequent trips to the regions.

Referring to the atmosphere in the media , the authors of the report point to the spread of the criminal law provisions on defamation and insult also on the Internet this summer.

The interlocutors of the ODIHR observers have expressed concern that the media environment is marred by the imprisonment of 8 journalists and the increased physical and mental attacks on journalists.

All national television channels are under the control of the government. Pluralistic political debate on television is virtually absent. Print media are more diverse, but their distribution in the regions is limited.

The Internet is increasingly considered to be free from restrictions and, according to some estimates , a third of the population regularly use it.

The Electoral Code provides free and paid airtime in electronic and print media. However, among the TV stations with nationwide coverage only public broadcaster has officially announced that it will broadcast a paid political advertisement. The Electoral Code does not provide a balanced coverage of candidates and political parties in the news. -06D -