France, Strasburg /corr. Trend A.Maherremli, E.Huseynov / The Venice Commission plans to hold a round table in Baku on 19-20 October in order to discuss the improvement of the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan, a source stated in Venice Commission on 21 September.
Discussions to improve the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan have already begun with regards to the eve of the 2008 Presidential elections in the Country. The discussions are attended by the representatives of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
Last week the representative of the Venice Commission, Sergey Kuznetsov, reported to Trend that the political parties in Azerbaijan which participated in the 2005 parliamentary elections will be invited to the discussions during the round table. The Head of Azerbaijan Parliament's Apparat, Safa Mirzayev, reported to Trend that the meeting in Baku is planned to coordinate the amendments to the Electoral Code with regards to reducing the time-frame in which to consider complaints on the voting process.
Earlier the representatives of the Venice Commission stated that after each election in Azerbaijan, many voters are dissatisfied that the system which considers the complaints is not effective enough. This issue is being delayed by the high electoral commissions and courts.
Mirzayev said that the Azerbaijani side considers that the complaints should be considered by special commissions attended by the lawyers. "They will function independently, but around the commissions," Mirzayev said.
In June Azerbaijan's Azadlyg political bloc sent a pack of proposals on amendments and annexes to the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan to the Venice Commission. The proposals described the issue of forming a new composition of the election commissions on an equal basis. The bloc's proposals were sent for the consideration of the Assembly Parliamentary of the Council of Europe's rapporteurs for Azerbaijan, Andreas Herkel and Tony Lloyd. The Government of Azerbaijan does not agree with the formation of the election commission on an equal basis.