On Monday representatives of the Central Elections Commissions (CEC) and Russia and Ukraine, Igor Kachur and Mikhael Okhendovskiy (Ukraine) and Siyabshakh Shapiyev (Russia), who participated in the parliamentary elections, held a news conference, Trend reports.
“We observed over the preparations in the polling stations from 7:00am on 6 November, and participated in the closing of the station, as well as the calculation of votes. The CEC of Azerbaijan did not present us any schedule and we were free in visiting the poling stations," Kachur noted.
Observers noted that a representative of the CEC of Azerbaijan, who accompanied them, voted in the polling station, and then the Russian and Ukrainian observers asked him to wash hands and attempt to vote in another station. "We only tried to make an experiment to define the efficiency of the use of inking. The voter was not allowed to polling after the detector revealed ink in his finger,” Kachur elaborated.
Shapiyev noted that the observers faced no violation in the station where they
participated in the calculation of votes and cancellation of ballot papers. Observers from the opposition were allowed to personally calculate the ballot papers, which is not permitted in Russia, as the observers do not have a right to touch the ballot papers,” he stressed. Shapiyev said that on the elections day he and his colleagues, who visited polling stations, succeeded to hold observations in 10 different stations both in capital city and outskirts.
Okhendovskiy said that the observers were interested not in the final result of the elections, but transparency of the process and free will.
In the conclusion Kachur underlined that the elections process was transparent and electors showed free will.