Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 August / Trend corr. E.Babayev / Azerbaijani opposition Civil Solidarity party (CSP) has appealed to Mazahir Panahov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC). Our representatives, who were sent to District Election Commissions (DEC) are not allowed to be elected to the Secretariat. However, the representatives, who are close to the ruling New Azerbaijan party (NAP) are elected to the organization. If the process will not be prevented, we will recall our representatives from DEC," MP Sabir Rustamkhanli, Chairman of CSP, told Trend on 29 August.
Under the Election Code, the composition of election commissions are formed from representatives of parties, which representative majority (NAP), minority and from neutral MPs. For this reason the opposition Musavat party, which is united in the parliamentary minority, did not send its representatives to CEC, and the formation of DEC has not been completed so far.
According to Rustamkhanli, a condition was created for parties which make up minority in the Parliament, approximately after two years; to send their representatives to DEC. CSP has sent 42 representatives to DEC. However, the representatives are not allowed to be elected to DEC Secretariat. "CSP is represented in the Parliament with three MPs. Two MPs are the members of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE. I cannot understand such a relation. The Government should be interested in the opposition to be represented in Secretariat," Rustamkhanli added.
Azar Sariyev, Head of CEC press-service, told Trend that the position of CSP representatives does not show the reality. "All parties, which are minority, will participate in the elections. CEC cannot force CSP members to appoint to DEC Secretariat. The places allocated to Musavat representatives will remain free," Sariyev said.
The CSP was founded by a leader of the Azerbaijan National Liberation Movement in 1992. The party took part in the parliamentary elections of 1995, 2000, 2005, and presidential elections of 2003, municipal elections of 1999, 2004. Azerbaijan national poet, MP Sabir Rustamkhanli, was Azerbaijani Press and Information Minister from 1991 to 1995 and ran for presidency in 2003.
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