Voter turnout at municipal elections in Azerbaijan is satisfactory enough - CEC Chairman

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 1 / Trend M. Aliyev /

The number of those who voted at repeated, additional and new municipal elections in Azerbaijan was 23.46 percent (271,108 voters), said Mazahir Panakhov, CEC chairman, at a press-conference on the first results of voting.

"Considering that it was repeated, additional and new elections, it should be be noted that voter turnout is satisfactory enough" - Panakhov said.

He noted that municipal elections went down in history of Azerbaijan as transparent and free.

"There are 328 leading candidates at the moment, 93 of them are women", - said the chairman of the CEC.

Panakhov noted that the CEC received the protocols from 286 municipalities in 65 districts, 1023 protocols of 1169 polling stations were received at the CEC website. "In the next few hours all the protocols will be posted on the CEC website", - he said.

"During the day the CEC did not receive any reference on the violation during the elections. On the contrary, references were associated with high level of elections", Panakhov said.

He reported that members of the CEC from the start of voting visited several polling stations, and during the day the CEC kept in touch with all the polling stations.

Panakhov noted that the vote was held at high level, the participation of the media was completely secure.

"The protocols with the results of voting will be submitted to the CEC within two days", - he said.

The elections were held from 08.00 to 19.00 on November 30.

Over 1,550 candidates for 464 vacant seats were registered in 330 municipalities, i.e. about four persons per seat.

Candidates from nine political parties - Yeni Azerbaijan Party, Ana Veten Party, Social Prosperity Party, Civil Solidarity Party, Popular Front of Integrated Azerbaijan, Great Creation Parties, Democratic Reforms Party, and Civil Unity Party - ran for the elections.

Noteworthy is that 709 independent candidates also ran for the elections.