Today.Az » Politics » Azerbaijan Central Election Commission chief makes statement on outcome of municipal elections- UPDATE - PHOTOS
25 December 2009 [09:43] - Today.Az
Azerbaijani people voted in municipal elections on Dec. 23.

Dec. 25
09:42

Chairman of the Central Election Commission Mazahir Panahov commented on conclusion of the observation mission of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

Panahov said there were contradictory points in the conclusion.

“The conclusion says that only one party held a campaign on television. This is wrong. I think this is a technical mistake of the authors of the report. No party was promoted on television. New Azerbaijan Party had the right of free campaign, but they did not use this right,” he said.

Panahov did not agree with the remark that voters’ turnout was too low.

“On one hand they say the ballot papers were big, on the other hand they say there was little interest. The ballot papers were big as there were many candidates. This shows that there was much interest in the elections. So, this remark is unclear. For all countries 30-40 percent of the voters’ turnout is considered normal," Panahov said.

"The turnout  may be high in certain places. They note that the voters do not know Latin alphabet. This remark is groundless. The ballot papers are published in the alphabet accepted by the state,” he said.

Panahov said practice shows that usually observers’ conclusions are based on shortcomings.

Commenting on the opposition’s opinion on the elections Panahov said CEC had not received any complaint concerning violations and described these reports as untrue.

Panahov said police did not interfere in the voting.

“Police are delicate enough on such issues, their know their duties. There is no problem concerning it. CEC and the related bodies implemented program to raise public awareness,” he said.

Dec. 24
18:25

Nearly 99 percent of the polling stations have sent initial results of the December 23 municipal elections in Azerbaijan to the Elections Information Center at the Central Election Commission (CEC), CEC Chief Mazahir Panahov said.

He said 1,699 out of 1,718 municipalities had already sent information.

Panahov said CEC had not received information only from 19 municipalities.

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09:21

Chief of the Central Election Commission Mazahir Panahov gave a press conference Wednesday at the “Sechkiler” Information Center to announce early results of the municipal election.

Panahov said the voting started at 8.00 a.m. and completed at 7 p.m.

He noted 31, 86 percent or 1, 462 074 of the voters cast ballots in the election throughout the country.

The ballot count is underway, he added.

Panahov underlined anyone can find information on the CEC web page about results of voting from one third of all polling stations.

He noted the names of candidates elected to 439 municipalities are known.

The CEC chairman pointed out data concerning all municipalities will be available Thursday morning.

Panahov said about 50,000 local and international observers monitored the voting process. The international observers watched the process in more than 100 polling stations, he added.

According to him, the CEC received no official complaint or information which can seriously affect the voting results.

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Dec. 23
16:50

Voter turnout in the Azerbaijani municipal elections is 24.23 percent (1,111,638 voters) as of 3:00 p.m on Dec. 23, the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission's (CEC) Elections Information Center said.

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16:18

Voter turnout in the southern Azerbaijan hit 16 percent as of 12:00 [local time] Dec.23.

About 3,400 people or 9.24 percent of voters voted in today's municipal voting, Masalli Region Election Commission (REC) No. 70 Head Elkhan Mammadov said.

Some 5,539 people or 16.3 percent of voters have voted so far, Masalli REC No. 71 Head Hajiriza Nagiyev said.

About 5,175 people or 14.7 percent voted in the today's municipal voting, Yardimli-Masalli REC No. 72 Head Tarhan Asgarov said.

About 6,166 people or 14.4 percent voted in the today's municipal elections, Astara REC No. 77 Head Hikmat Akbarov said.

About 4, 729 people or 16.3 percent of voters have voted at the Lerik-Lankaran REC No. 78.

Nearly 11.8 percent of voters (3,941 people) have cast  their ballots in today's municipal voting at the Lankaran REC No. 73.

Some 15.39 percent of voters (5,664 people) voted in the today's municipal elections at the Lankaran-Masalli REC No. 75.

Some 13.32 percent of voters (4, 383people) voted in the today's municipal elections at the Lankaran REC No. 74.

About 4,005 people or 14.9 percent voted in the today's municipal elections at the Lankaran Astara REC No. 76.

About 12 DECs operate in the six regions of the Southern Azerbaijan.

So far, the DECs have not recorded any violation.

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15:17

Voter turnout in the Barda Region Election Commission (REC) No.93 hit 18 percent as of 12:00 [local time] Dec.23.

About 7,680 people or 17 percent voted at the Tartar REC No.95 and 5, 419 people or 16 percent at the Agdam REC.

The Barda REC No.93 has 50 constituencies and 4,387 registered voters.

Web-cameras have been installed at five constituencies. About 511 local observers monitor the voting.

The 54 constituencies of the Barda REC No.94 have 5,964 registered voters. About 433 local observers monitor the electoral process here.

The 39 constituencies of the Tartar REC No.95 have 37, 993 registered voters. Web-cameras have been installed at five constituencies. The voters will elect 236 people to 25 municipalities.

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Nearly 16.79 percent of the voters have already cast ballots in the municipal voting in Azerbaijan, head of CEC Elections Information Center Ramin Huseynov said.

He said that  770,250 people had voted by 12.00 (local time).

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14:34

About 14,000 prisoners have cast their ballots in the municipal vote.

Some 22 polling stations are functioning in 13 constituencies of the detention facilities.

Nearly 1,500 servicemen will also cast their votes here, Deputy Chief of Azerbaijani Justice Ministry's Penitentiary Service Huseyn Alikhanov said.

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13:51

Voter turnout in Azerbaijan's municipal voting is 16.79 percent (770, 250 voters) as of 12:00 [local time] Dec. 23, the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission's (CEC) Elections Information Center said.

The Salyan-Neftchala District Election Commission (DEC) No.60 has registered highest voter turnout - 23.56 percent so far.

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13:30

Azerbaijani voters show high turnout in country's current municipal voting, Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Mazahir Panahov said.

"So far, the CEC has not received any appeal on major violations in the electoral process," he added.

Panahov voted at the constituency No. 27 of the Binagadi District Election Commission No.10.

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11:53

The Salyan-Neftchala District Election Commission (DEC) No.60 recorded the high voter turnout in the municipal voting in Azerbaijan.

Voter turnout in this DEC is 14.58 percent by 10:00 a.m. [local time ], the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission's (CEC) Elections Information Center said.

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11:38

Voter turnout in the Azerbaijani municipal elections is 8.77 per cent (402,347 voters) as of 10:00 [local time] Dec. 23, the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission's (CEC) Elections Information Center said.

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About 10, 943 people or 7.38 percent voted in the Ganja region of Azerbaijan by 10:00 [local time] Dec. 23

The Nizami District Elections Commission (DEC) No.37 and 38 and Kapaz DEC No. 39 and 40 have registered 148,150 voters.

The voting in municipal elections is underway in 108 constituencies.

Nearly 1,531 local observers monitor the municipal elections in Ganja.

Roughly 100 people voted at Constituency No.22 of the Baku Nasimi-Sabayel District Elections Commission (DEC) No.22 by 10:00 [local hours] Dec. 23, DEC Head Gulnaz Mehdizade said.

Mehdizade said about 1,266 voters have been registered in the constituency.

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10:50

The first report on the municipal elections turnout in Azerbaijan will be released very soon, Head of the Elections Information Center of the Central Election Commission Ramil Huseynov said.

He said the center will receive turnout report till 10.00.

The center will report on turnout five times a day – 10.00, 12.00, 15.00, 17.00 and 19.00.

Preliminary outcome of the voting will be released within a few hours after the polls close.

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09:33

Central Elections Commission (CEC) Chairman Mazahir Panahov has called on voters to be active during the voting.

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Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, December 23, across Azerbaijan as the country's citizens start casting ballots in municipal elections.

A total of 15,682 seats in 1,718 municipalities are being contested, with about 31,000 candidates running.

Of these 16,755 are nominated by political parties, while 14,073 are independent candidates and 147 are nominated by initiative groups.

Nearly 4.6 million Azerbaijani citizens are expected to cast their ballots in 4,813 polling stations.

The election will be monitored by more than 49,000 local and 52 international observers.

Mazahir Panahov, chief of the country`s Central Election Commission, CEC, told a press conference “necessary conditions have been created at all polling stations to conduct normal voting”.

Some 500 polling stations were equipped with webcams to provide internet users with an opportunity to watch the whole voting process online.

The list of the webcam-equipped polling stations is available at the election commission’s websites.

Throughout the Polling Day, the Central Election Commission will issue five reports: at 10.00, 12.00, 15.00, 17.00 and 19.00.

Polling stations close at 19.00.

/AzerTaj, Trend News/

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Photos by Hijran Aslanli
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