Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. I.Alizadeh / Election commissions should be formed from non-party state officials according to the representatives of the opposition Democratic Reforms Party, Asim Mollazadeh, the chairman of the party and permanent member of the commission on international relations and inter-parliamentary ties, said on 21 September.
It is necessary to introduce changes in the Election Code of Azerbaijan. First of all, it is necessary to free election commissions from the monopoly of parties, Mollazadeh said.
International organizations propose the introduction of changes to the Election Code of Azerbaijan. The negotiations on the issue are being held between Azerbaijan, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, and the Bureau of Democratic Universities and Human Rights of the OSCE. The next meeting will be held in Baku on 20 and 21 October. International organizations propose to form the election commissions with participation of representatives from the Authorities and the opposition. Azerbaijani opposition supports the proposal. However, the Authorities consider that the current commissions meet international standards.
The election commissions are presently under the monopoly of the ruling party, Mollazadeh said. However, parties included in the election commissions are likely to stick to the interests of their organizations. It causes dissatisfaction and raises the need for transparency in the election commissions. Separate election structures should be formed including non-party officials. Clarity is necessary to increase belief in the process.
The Democratic Reforms Party adhered to the liberal-democratic positions. The party was founded in 2005. MP Asim Mollazadeh, the Chairman of the party, had been a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 2000 to 2005.