Azerbaijan, Baku , Oct. 8 / Trend S. Aghayeva /
Preparation for the presidential election in Azerbaijan is virtually complete and according to CIS mission observers, everything is organized at a high level, Head of the CIS observation mission for the presidential election in Azerbaijan Sergey Lebedev told Trend on Tuesday.
"As part of the election campaign monitoring, long-term observers visited all seven districts and a number of local commissions in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, as well as district and precinct election commissions in Baku, Ganja, Lenkoran, Absheron , Astara , Lerik, Khachmaz, Shamkir, Shamakhi, Ismayilli and other regions. In general, the electoral campaign is carried out in calm atmosphere. As the observers note, the leadership, as well as members of district and local electoral commissions are open for talks, they provide necessary information about active pre-election events," Lebedev noted.
Presidential elections in Azerbaijan to be held on October 9.
According to Lebedev, the observers have been convinced that the work for providing the polling stations with election legislation, necessary methodical recommendations, instructions, information materials and also relevant equipment, including transparent ballot boxes and portable voting boxes, has been fully completed. The lists of voters have also been checked.
The head of the CIS observation mission went on to say that the polling stations have all the necessary technical equipment.
"Judge for yourself - 20 percent of polling stations are equipped with video cameras. All stations have telephones, and faxes have been installed there as well. Ballots are sealed and placed in fireproof safes. Additionally, power generators have been installed at polling stations, in case there are power supply cuts. I should also note the existence of first-aid service and children rooms at many polling stations," Lebedev said.
According to him, currently the arriving process of short-term CIS observers into Azerbaijan is wrapping up.
"After the briefing at the mission headquarters and obtaining the necessary documentation, they are sent to the regions of the country. On election day, members of the mission are going to visit polling stations in all regions of Azerbaijan, in Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja, Mingachevir cities, as well as in Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.
They will be present at various stages of the election, starting from the opening of the polling stations, and until the summing up of the results by the precinct election commissions," Lebedev added.