U.S. State Department: "We concur with the OSCE election observationmission�s preliminary assessment of the election in Azerbaijan."

Washington D.C /17.04.18/Turan: The U.S. concurs with the OSCE election observation mission"s preliminary assessment of the election in Azerbaijan, a State Department official said on Monday, April 16, in response to a query from TURAN's Washington D.C. correspondent.

"The United States looks forward to working with President Aliyev and with the people of Azerbaijan on a range of important bilateral and regional issues, including promoting respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms, supporting economic reforms and prosperity, combatting terrorism, and working actively with the OSCE Minsk Group to help realize a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," the official said.

"We concur with the OSCE election observation mission"s preliminary assessment of the election in Azerbaijan. The preliminary report noted several shortcomings, including a restrictive political environment, limits on fundamental freedoms, and a lack of genuine competition. While the election administration was organized and well-resourced, ODIHR reported widespread disregard for mandatory procedures, lack of transparency, and numerous serious irregularities, such as ballot box stuffing. We encourage President Aliyev and the incoming administration to address these concerns expeditiously," the official added.

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, 11 April. The key opposition parties refused to take part of the election and instead organized a mass protest over the weekend. The election was
the first since the 2016 Constitutional Referendum, which extended the presidential term from five to seven years.