BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 7. A lot of foreign observers from the OSCE, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) came to Azerbaijan for the extraordinary presidential election, which indicates very great interest in the country's election, the Secretary-General of the CIS, head of the observer mission from the CIS Sergey Lebedev told reporters, Trend reports.
He made the remark while observing the voting process during the extraordinary presidential election in Azerbaijan at Polling Station No. 38 of the Nasimi-Sabail electoral constituency No. 23 (Baku Museum Center).
"The CIS mission has been operating in Azerbaijan since January 17. The mission is quite extensive and includes representatives from most CIS member states. We arrived in Azerbaijan with a mission of goodwill because Azerbaijan is essential member of the CIS, actively participating in economic, humanitarian, and other interactions," the official said. "We still consider the CIS countries as close both in spirit and history, and hope that the friendly and neighborly relations will endure for many years, and forever. We are all interested in peace, in stability, in the CIS region."
"As for our mission, I have already said that it's quite numerous. I'm proud that the mission consists of MPs from CIS countries, a group of observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, which includes Azerbaijan. The participation of Azerbaijan is always constructive, aimed at resolving common issues, achieving compromises, and maintaining cooperation," Lebedev added.
Along with the MPs, the mission includes diplomats from CIS countries, members of central election commissions, heads of these commissions, employees of the CIS Executive Committee, and experts in electoral legislation, he noted.
"We are grateful for the invitation to observe the presidential election in Azerbaijan, considering it both a great trust in the CIS mission and a significant responsibility. Azerbaijan is holding election in new conditions, following significant changes. This is explained, as our Azerbaijani friends informed us, by the altered circumstances in the country, necessitating the conduct of presidential election across the entire territory of Azerbaijan," the official pointed out.
"We visited many regions of Azerbaijan and have now dispersed to cities and districts, where we are on-site observing the voting process. Along with a group of colleagues, I also visited polling stations in Baku this morning. The voting is organized, with a high turnout, which is crucial. We assess the high turnout in Azerbaijan's presidential election as the citizens' and voters' interest in participating in this election, confirming their intentions, and further contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and tranquility in the country," he said.
According to him, the CIS mission started analyzing Azerbaijan's electoral legislation long before arriving in the country and observed positive changes introduced to the electoral code.
"We also analyzed the process of candidate nomination and registration, noting that the election is taking place on a competitive basis with seven candidates. Additionally, we monitored the campaign process. All the candidates were provided with equal opportunities, which we affirm with full confidence. Moreover, there was good information coverage in the campaign and the media, including television," Lebedev explained.
"The presidential candidates were given opportunities to present their programs and positions in the print press and major newspapers, and our observers closely monitored this. All candidates were afforded equal opportunities. This is also a very positive factor. The fact that many foreign observers from the OSCE, the SCO, and the OTS have arrived in the Azerbaijan indicates a significant interest in the country's election. We hope that not only observers from CIS countries but also other observers will provide an objective assessment of the election in Azerbaijan," he concluded.
To note, voting in the presidential election is going on in Azerbaijan.
Candidates for the presidency in the upcoming election include incumbent President Ilham Aliyev (New Azerbaijan Party), independent contenders Zahid Oruj and Fuad Aliyev, Razi Nurullayev (National Front Party), Fazil Mustafa (Great Order Party), Elshad Musayev (Great Azerbaijan Party), and Gudrat Gasanguliyev (Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party).
From 08:00 (GMT+4), polling stations will be open for voters, and close at 19:00. The Central Election Commission Secretariat's Information Center will share preliminary updates on the voting process and results at 17:00 and 19:00 Baku time.
The crucial cutoff for candidate registration came on January 9, with seven contenders now in the race for the presidential seat.
The voter roll boasts 6,478,623 people who will cast their votes across 6,537 polling stations throughout the country.
A total of 90,372 observers are registered to monitor the election, with 790 of them representing 72 international organizations from 89 countries.
For the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan, the upcoming election will span across the entire country, including the lands liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020. In the liberated territories, 26 polling stations have been established.
For Azerbaijani citizens residing abroad, 49 polling stations have been established in the embassies and consulates of 37 countries. This allows over 23,000 expatriates to participate in the voting process from various corners of the globe.
A robust media presence of 190 international entities is dedicated to observing the election, with 216 of their representatives officially registered as international observers.
Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel