Baku, Azerbaijan, April 24
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
The report on corruption in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is biased, Azerbaijani MP Sahiba Gafarova said during the PACE spring session.
Also, touching upon the report of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) observation mission, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the PACE on the presidential election in Azerbaijan, the MP said that such position is disrespect towards millions of Azerbaijani voters.
“The report of this delegation on the election in Azerbaijan is surprising,” Gafarova said. “They failed to avoid double standards. Other observers noted different things. The report is based on subjective positions. The election is primarily organized for the citizens of Azerbaijan in accordance with the legislation of the country. There was absolutely free expression of the voters’ will in accordance with the requirements of the law. I’d like to say that both the election campaign and the electoral process were transparent and fair.”
During a press conference held April 12, the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission made preliminary conclusions on the presidential election in Azerbaijan, voicing opinions not reflecting the reality observed at the election.
Azerbaijan held presidential election on April 11. The incumbent head of state, Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party Ilham Aliyev garnered 86.02 percent of votes in the election, securing his position as the head of state for the next seven years.