Opposition claims fraud and violations in Parliamentary elections

The Party of People's Front of Azerbaijan (PPFA) has stated that it does not recognize the results of the early Parliamentary elections on September 1, because they "do not reflect the will of the people, and their announced results are completely falsified."

"These "elections" occur in circumstances when basic rights and freedoms are completely limited, the real opposition and the people are boycotting them and there is no competition. The new composition of the Parliament was formed according to the list approved personally by Ilham Aliyev. Such a parliament cannot be legitimate and represent the people," the PPFA said in a statement.

Even the minimum conditions for fair political competition were not provided at the elections. "We proposed to create the most basic conditions, in particular, to release more than 300 political prisoners in the country, respect freedom of assembly, opposition representation in election commissions, and provide opportunities for independent organizations and the opposition to monitor elections. However, these proposals were ignored," the statement said.

On the contrary, the authorities have intensified their repression, showing that they are not interested in real elections. The authorities used the traditional method of fraud to create the appearance of a large number of voters at polling stations. "Thanks to the efforts of individual public activists, only in some districts there was a relative activity of voters. In reality, the voter turnout was less than 7-8%. Groups of people trained to vote several times at different polling stations, and even in different districts, filling the ballot boxes with fake ballots.

Therefore, the CEC's statement about the turnout of 38% has nothing to do with reality, the statement says. "The international community should give a principled assessment of the massive falsification of elections in Azerbaijan and resolutely demand that the country's leadership fulfill its international obligations," the PPFA believes.

In turn, the Musavat Party stated that the elections were accompanied by massive violations. Moreover, in most polling stations and districts where Musavat candidates were nominated, precinct election commissions disrupted the continuity of the election process upon completion and did not immediately count the votes. "The chairmen of the precinct commissions in many places announced a break, saying that "only tomorrow" votes will be counted and protocols will be drawn up. This is a gross violation of Article 106.5 of the Electoral Code. The voting itself took place in an environment of mass violations, ballot stuffing, transportation of groups of voters to different polling stations, pressure on observers," Musavat said in a statement.

Leader of the Republican Alternative Party, Ilgar Mammadov, in turn, said that this organization disputes the results announced by the CEC in the districts where its candidates were. "We will submit all the materials to the CEC. After the completion of the legal process, we will make a political statement," Mammadov told Turan.

According to the official data of the CEC, only 1 of the 12 candidates of the "Republican Alternative" - the current deputy Erkin Gadirli - is going to the Parliament.