Azerbaijan, Baku, 30 April / corr. Trend G. Jabiyev/ The representatives of OSCE, Council of Europe and European Commission in Azerbaijan has published support program in connection with the presidential elections in to be held in 2008. "We assess the election process as a key priority of the activities of the international organizations in Azerbaijan," said the joint statement by Denis Bribosia, the head of the Council of Europe Office, Hose Luis Herrera, the head of the OSCE Baku Office and Alan Adams, the head of the European Commission Representation in Azerbaijan published on 30 April.
The presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be held on 15 October. The ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party has announced that it will nominate the current President Ilham Aliyev for the elections. The Deputy executive secretary of the Party Siyavush Novruzov said to media earlier that the candidate from the ruling party will gain 97% of the votes.
Isa Gambar, the chairman of Musavat Party who is considered to be the key opposition, said in early April during his meeting with the youth of the party that the candidates gaining less than 25% of the votes should think of quitting policy.
The other opposition parties, Democratic Party Great Establishment, Umud, and Green Party of Azerbaijan will also nominate their candidates for the presidential elections.
The joint declaration by the international organizations in Baku said that it is not yet late to take relevant measures for a conduct of elections in line with international standards and all people involved in the election process should make serious efforts for this purpose.
The support program by the international organizations stated that it is important to strengthen the experience and independence of executive bodies involved in the election process, to make contribution to media which will insure broadcast of election campaign of all candidates, to advocate freedom of assembly and to increase the interest of the public to the election process.
Denis Bribosia, the head of the Council of Europe Office in Baku, said during the press conference in Baku on 30 April that there will be TV debates, election-related training in the regions and assistance for the domestic observers prior to the elections. Bribosia believes that the unnecessary restrictions on the rallies by the law-enforcement agencies should be banned.
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