Azerbaijan, Baku, May 25 / Trend , A.Huseynbala/
The Azerbaijani ruling party considers proposals related to reform of the electoral commissions as groundless.
"At present, the current has been formed on a parity basis. These commissions have sufficient experience to conduct free, fair, democratic elections in Azerbaijan," Deputy Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party Mubariz Gurbanli told Trend on May 25.
In anticipation of the municipal and parliamentary elections, some opposition parties in Azerbaijan made proposals to reform the electoral commissions.
The municipal elections will take place in Azerbaijan in autumn 2009 and the parliamentary elections in autumn 2010. Earlier, the municipal elections took place in 1999 and 2004.
The Azerbaijani Election Code was amended and changed early June in 2008 after joint discussions between the government and the CE Venice Commission. The amendments did not comprise forming election commissions on the parity base, as the Azerbaijani opposition wanted it. Some Azerbaijani opposition parties refused to partake in the elections on Oct. 15 in as a protest against the election code.
Gurbanli said opposition's proposal concerning to form election commissions on a parity basis before the municipal elections can not be taken into account. "These commissions are quite experienced. So I think it is inappropriate to review the composition of committees. I do not understand the reason of such a proposal," the governing party's member added.
The NAP was established by Nakhchivan Parliamentary Speaker Heydar Aliyev in 1992.
President Ilham Aliyev is the party's chairman. The party has ruled the country for 16 years.
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