France, Strasburg, Jan. 25 / Trend A. Maharramli /
The last parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are a step forward to democracy, head of the Azerbaijani Delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov said while discussing Polish MP Tadeush Ivinsky's report on the elections in Azerbaijan.
"During the session, our delegation would like to bring clarity to the situation. The fact that the elections were observed by more than 7,000 local and international observers testifies to the importance attached to these elections in Azerbaijan. Election observation is also important to understand the election process. I would like to express my gratitude to the head of the two observation missions, Paul Wille," he said.
He recalled that PACE, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE / ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European parliament adopted a joint resolution.
"The document notes that the abovementioned organizations will continue cooperating with Azerbaijan. This is a very important issue. Unfortunately, some individuals do not want to take into account the fact that the elections were held in a quiet atmosphere. They did not appreciate the participation of all political parties thoroughly."
All candidates received airtime on the country's public television channel, he said.
"Some individuals did not want to receive respectful evaluations from international organizations in terms of these elections, and subjected us to criticism and blackmail. It was directed not only against the ruling party, but at the same time against international observers. I would again like to thank PACE and its members because the PACE members observing the elections, as opposed to their colleagues from the OSCE / ODIHR, reflected the situation more realistically," he said.
Ivinsky informed MPs about the report by the PACE observation mission in Azerbaijan. He said the elections in Azerbaijan were held in a peaceful atmosphere.
"Some colleagues express dissatisfaction due to our report, stating its partiality and the improper holding of the elections. I think our report is very balanced. The members of our mission also reported that there were achievements. However, PACE thinks that Azerbaijan must make more efforts to achieve a consensus in the field of elections. I am convinced that PACE and the Council of Europe are ready to continue cooperation with Azerbaijan and provide their support in strengthening the democratic system," he said.