Azerbaijan, Baku, November 9 / Trend , A.Huseynbala /
Candidates for municipalities face pressure, according to the Azerbaijani opposition party.
"For several days, pressure started to be put on party members nominated for the municipal elections. In Agjabedi and Neftchala districts, all documents were submitted to the constituencies six days ago, but party members have not yet been given signature lists," a statement adopted by the Musavat Party said on Nov. 9.
Municipal elections in Azerbaijan will be held on December 23. During these elections, 15 682 members will be elected for 1,718 municipalities. Formerly, municipal elections were held twice - in 1999 and 2004.
The document states that the staff of the executive power, education department of Terter district and other officials put pressure on candidates from the Musavat Party and their relatives, demanding to withdraw the nomination.
Musavat Party assesses this as rough violation of the election campaign.
"Again remaining true to its traditions, the government wants to remove candidates from our party from the electoral process, applying the persecution, pressure, threats and blackmail. These facts are taking place in different regions. This shows that the harassment and pressure are not carried out with the approval of local officials, but persons standing above them. Musavat party expresses its strong protest to all these and urges to end such arbitrariness," said in the statement.
Musavat party was established in Baku in October 1911. The third (restoration) meeting of Musavat party was held in Baku in Republic Palace on November 7, 1992. As a result of secret voting, Gambar was elected chairman of the party by majority of votes.
Head of the party Isa Gambar was speaker of Milli Majlis (1992-1993) and candidate for president during elections in 2003. The party is represented in the Parliament by four MPs.
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