PACE Pre-election Mission Holds Meetings

The PACE pre-election mission headed by the Spanish MP Jordi Hugla today met with representatives of political parties represented in the Azerbaijani parliament.

As a participant in the meeting, the head of the Great Establishment Party Fazil Mustafa told Turan the guests were interested in the campaign for the Milli Majlis elections to be held on November 1.

Representatives of the political parties noted the need for monitoring the elections by observers from the PACE, and the ODIHR OSCE. In their view, it will help assess the elections.

They also pointed to the need to eliminate the tension between Europe and Azerbaijan after the European Parliament’s critical resolution of 10 September.

There were not any complaints about the elections as long as the process of nomination of candidates is going on, said Mustafa.

PACE deputies held a separate meeting with the head of the opposition party Musavat, Arif Hajili. Hajili told Turan he told the guests about the issue of political prisoners, the absence of a democratic pre-election environment, the shortcomings of the electoral legislation, and the absence of equal conditions for the political struggle during the election campaign.

He called on the PACE to pay more attention to the election process and democracy in Azerbaijan.

The PACE delegation also met with the leadership of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan. -05C-