Parliamentary Elections Illegitimate - DDB

Baku / 13.02.20 / Turan: The Movement for Democracy and Welfare (MDW) issued a statement evaluating the February 9 early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. The MDW believes that this process took place in an environment of limiting the activities of political freedoms, the disruption of an independent civilian system, the strangulation of freedom of the press, the detention of more than a hundred political prisoners, the inadequacy of the election code, and the lack of an environment for free and fair elections.

On election day, illegal interference took place in the voting process, members of election commissions with an advisory vote and independent observers were subjected to physical pressure, and obstacles were created for the activities of media representatives. During the vote count, publicity was violated; after the election, the protest rallies of the candidates were brutally dispersed by the police. Thus, the extraordinary parliamentary passed not free conditions. In view of the foregoing, the MDW does not consider these elections to be legitimate.

Along with this, the MDW resolutely condemned the brutal crackdown on a peaceful protest that disagreed with the election results of the candidates and the citizens who supported them on February 11 in front of the CEC building and demanded the punishment of law enforcement officials who violated the law. The MDW called on opposition organizations and independent candidates for consultations with a view to developing a unified position in relation to the elections. —06d—