The decision adopted by Azerbaijan"s Central Election Commission (CEC) - presenting four-minute air time to candidates for the pre-election agitation on ITV was unexpected. According to the Election Code, free air time is to be presented only to the election blocs having not less than 61 registered candidates. BY Friday none Bloc, expect the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party, had had such a number of registered candidates.
In its statement on October 12 the leading opposition PPFA-Musavat Bloc condemned the authorities for mass violations of the procedure of candidates registration. The main reason, according to opposition, is to prevent the access to TV for the opposition. The opposition members threatened with boycott if the situation does not change. On Thursday a special representative of the EU for South Caucasus Peter Semnebi joined the resolution of the problem. In his interview to Turan he reminded that `access to information at the coming elections and access to mass media for candidates is the main condition or the conduction of free and fair elections."
It can be assumed that the decision on presenting free air time for all candidates has become a result of consultations between official Baku and EU. Therefore, the decision which the CEC presented as its own initiative, in fact, is a result of interference of western institutions into the process.
CEC could not adopt such a decision by itself because it is contrary to the Election Code. Thus, the opposition and independent candidates got in total four-five of free air time for agitation during 21 days. It will affect the choice of electorate which is mostly dissatisfied with the political and economic situation in the country.
The power understands it, and therefore, trying to demonstrate its confidence in victory, is developing and realizing measures for falsification the elections. First addresses on ITV have shown fading and weakness of pro-governmental candidates, what means coming failure of power. Thus, the authorities make main stress on the use of administrative source on the voting day; in order obtain the result they want.
Mehman Aliyev
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