TODAY.AZ / Politics

Observers note transparent conditions for referendum vote

26 September 2016 [15:02] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Nigar Abbasova

The nationwide vote for making amendments to Azerbaijan’s constitution, which is considered to be the fundamental law of the state, is continuing to run smoothly.

International and local observers accredited by Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to observe the referendum are watching the voting process across the country and assessing the conduct of voting on the basis of national legislation and international election standards.

The voting observation missions have already expressed their satisfaction with the conditions and level of transparency ensured in the polls, as well as with performance of election commissions.

Majority of observers involved in the monitoring of polls assessed the organization of the process as corresponding to all international norms, mentioning that the stations were equipped with all materials, necessary for the unruffled and transparent running of the process. Observers fixed high activity of the population, while no serious breach of law has been so far registered.

Nurlan Dulatbekov, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries (TurkPA) International Observes Mission and a Kazakh MP, who has already visited a number of polling stations in the capital city, said the process is going on in an organized manner and population is consciously approaching to the referendum to amend the Constitution.

Carmen Quintanilla, a Spanish MP and member of the European People’s Party (EPP) delegation said the referendum to amend the Constitution is being held transparently.

Video cameras, installed in a number of polling stations are aimed to eliminate any fraud attempts during the voting and counting of votes as well as increase observers’ ability to monitor events in the polling stations.

Missions of observers will also keep an eye on the counting of votes, and the determination and declaration of preliminary results.

Meanwhile, Central Elections Commission (CEC), which is responsible for all voting-related processes, fixed the voter turnout standing at 30.6 as of 12:00 (GMT+4). Some 1,613,879 people have casted their ballots so far, while the number of voters in Azerbaijan stands at 5,267,111 people.

Some 117 international observers from 35 countries, who have vast experience of elections in various parts of the world observe the referendum. The total number of the observers is around 53,000.

Among the observers are missions of the the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS), headed by Deputy Chairman of Council of Federation of the Russian Federal Assembly Ilyas Umakhanov, the international mission, consisting of MPs of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking countries (TurkPA), an observer mission of the Australian Parliament.

The voting is being conducted in 125 constituencies through 5,627 polling stations. The voting will wrap up at 19:00 (UTC/GMT +4). Final results of the nationwide vote will be announced till October 21. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to hold a referendum on amending the Constitution on September 26.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/154521.html

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