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Azerbaijan not to Accept Venice Commission’s Proposals Leading to Violation of Elections: Senior State Official

Politics Materials 25 April 2008 17:33 (UTC +04:00)
Azerbaijan not to Accept Venice Commission’s Proposals Leading to Violation of Elections: Senior State Official

Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 April / corr Trend G.Jabiyev / Baku stated that changes to the elections legislation will be made after considering the national interests of Azerbaijan. "The proposals leading to violations in the elections, resistance, as well as creating the situations which increases the dependence of any sides, will not be adopted. Furthermore, it makes no difference whether the proposals belong to the Venice Commission or any other organization," Ali Hasanov, the head of the Public Political Divisions of Azerbaijani President's Executive Power, said in talks with journalists in Baku on 25 April.

Experts of the Venice Commission consider that it would be better to appoint representatives from different parties to the position of chairmen of elections commissions. "The Venice Commission proposed that the commissions should not be governed by pro-governmental forces," Sergey Kuznetsov, a representative of the Venice Commission, informed Trend .

In the run up to the 2008 presidential elections, the Venice Commission (VC) of the Council of Europe, OSCE and Azerbaijan Government held discussions to infuse changes and supplements to the Elections Code.

In accordance with the VC proposals, elections commissions should be more independent to consolidate the confidence of all participants in the elections. The Central Elections Commission (CEC) appoints the chairs of district and constituency commissions. The Venice Commission urges that the appointment of different parties' representatives as the chairs of elections commissions contributes in the building confidence. "The last presidential elections showed that the Election Code granted the chairs of elections commissions with huge authorities," the document says.

The Azerbaijani opposition considers that composition of the commission should be formed on the parity basis of the opposition and authorities. According to the opposition leaders, the current composition of the commissions (members of parties in minority, majority and independent MPs) is under the influence of authorities.

The Azerbaijani Government is also offered to improve its procedures on defining members of the commission and nomination of the candidates. Members of the commission should be elected for 5-year term, and should work every year only during the election period and while developing voters list.

Hasanov said that the changes to the Election Code will be made in accordance with the state interests.

The Azerbaijani Government is working for democratization of pre-election campaign and will take all the necessary measures to make the pre-elections more democratic and transparent elections, Hasanov said.

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