Belarusian observers: Elections in Azerbaijan held in peaceful, transparent environment

By Trend

The observation mission from Belarus noted high voter turnout in the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

At a press conference, Belarusian observers noted the high activity, good preparation and calm atmosphere observed in different polling stations of Baku.

Belarusian observer, the head of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Security of Belarus Sergei Rachkov also noted with satisfaction that the members of the election commission are well acquainted with the law and the polling stations were well prepared for the election process.

"We paid attention to how they worked with voters. We did not notice a case when a voter did not present an ID. There were no cases of family voting - that is, only one person entered a booth at a time," Rachkov said.

The Belarusian observer noted that a large number of local observers monitored the elections, which, according to him, shows the transparency of the elections and the high voting activity of the local population.

"We also spoke with local observers and residents. We were interested in the process of nominating candidates, election campaigns, and we also asked how voter lists are compiled," the Belarusian observer said.

In general, the observation mission noted that there were no serious violations of the law, members of the commission worked flexibly and competently coped with issues in unexpected situations. For example, the head of the Belarusian delegation said that at one polling station the voter did not behave appropriately, but the situation was quickly resolved thanks to a flexible approach.

In addition to all this, conducting exit polls was positively evaluated, which was perceived as a modern approach to the election process.

"Therefore, our opinion is that the elections were held in a transparent, relaxed atmosphere," Rachkov said.

Another Belarusian observer, member of the Upper House of the Belarus Parliament, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Security of Belarus Alexander Markevich also expressed satisfaction with the calm atmosphere of the voting process and the professionalism of members of election commissions.

In addition, Markevich noted that more than 80 percent of the candidates were independent candidates, many of whom were female candidates, and there were a large number of observers at the polling stations, both foreign and local.

According to the Belarusian MP, this is a clear indicator of the political activity of the population.

"We visited twelve polling stations in different districts of Baku and everywhere met with a large number of voters. Such a high turnout in adverse weather shows a great interest of voters in choosing worthy people to rule the country," Markevich added.