Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission voices regret over EU position

Day.Az reports with reference to AzerTac that expressing regret over the position of the European Union Presidency, the Central Election Commission of the Azerbaijan Republic declares that the presidential elections in Azerbaijan were monitored by nearly 50,000 local and 1,250 international observers representing over 100 international organizations, including 409 observers from OSCE, 34 from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and 27 from the European Union and European Parliament. In addition, there were 183 observers from the World Network of Election Observers, while about 100 represented parliaments of the European Union member-countries.

A statement on the results of the elections issued by the OSCE, Council of Europe and European Parliament on October 16, 2008, says: “the elections marked considerable progress in meeting commitments of the OSCE and Council of Europe as well as other international standards.” The statement also says “the poll did not meet all international commitments.”

In a press conference on the election results on October 16, Andres Herkel, head of the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said as compared with previous elections there were considerable improvements in the conduct of this year`s elections. He also mentioned some shortcomings.

Carl Bildt, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, expressed regret over the fact that part of the opposition decided not to take part in the elections, but stressed “we welcome improvements noted in the conduct of this election.”

The Central Election Commission is surprised that the statement issued on behalf of the European Union Presidency used the wording “elections did not meet international standards”, which was not contained in the mentioned and other international structures’ reports covering the election in general or some of its aspects.

The Central Election Commission reminds that in his statement, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said that the elections were held in quiet condition, without any breach of law and well-organized, noting “I was satisfied with more fair conditions created for the oppositional candidates.”

European Union Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomed the considerable progress in the conduct of elections noted by OSCE, and praised the better conditions created for opposition candidates.

In essence, therefore, the statement issued by the European Union Presidency brutally ignores, for unknown reasons, the opinions, on the one hand, of the many-thousand observer corps, who monitored the elections, on the other hand, of the top-ranking European Union officials.

The Central Election Commission of the Azerbaijan Republic considers that as compared with the European Union’s congratulatory messages with respect to the elections held in neighboring countries earlier this year, its stance on the elections in Azerbaijan is, at least, obscure. Such a position of the European Union Presidency on the Presidential elections in Azerbaijan is a manifestation of disrespect to the will of the Azerbaijani voters, and cannot but cause deep regret.

/Day.Az/