The list of the media sources which will carry out free propaganda of presidential candidates in Azerbaijan was announced. “For the pre-election campaign, there will be allocated free ether time on the Public television, as well as place on the pages of newspapers “Azerbaijan”, “Khalg gazeti”, “Republic” and “Bakinski rabochi”, a source at the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan told TrendNews on 20 August.
The CEC stated that if other broadcasting and printing organizations make a decision on possibility to provide ether time or place for pre-election agitation, they must send appropriate notices to the CEC.

“First results of opposition talks over the united coalition will be known this week”, Eldar Namazov, the President of Public Forum for Azerbaijan told APA. He said political parties not joining the presidential elections intensified talks and reached certain agreements to establish coalition.
Namazov said the talks were held at the bilateral level between the separate parties. “It was clear that positions coincide on some issues and there are chances to pass certain decisions”.
Namazov said he wouldn’t stop Four’s activity while coalition was established. “Four had unified position on the presidential elections. This is not an organization, this is only consultative center and we will continue the consultations”.

“Central Election Commission is making preparations for October 15 presidential elections in line with the Work Schedule. As the election approach, we are strengthening cooperation with international organizations,” chairman of Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said, APA reports.
He said that trainings had already begun in the regions to increase proficiency of election commissions. CEC chairman said both trainings and enlightenment of voters would continue till the voting day and added that Electoral Code had been published in English.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has considerably changed either from political or economic point of view from 1 through 15 August.
The start of presidential candidates’ election campaign is observed in political sphere. Several parties have already officially introduced their candidates to Central Election Commission (CEC). More detailed: Candidacies of the chairman of the Azerbaijani Unified Popular Front Party Gudrat Hasanguliyev, the chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Ilham Aliyev, the chairman of the Umid Party Igbal Agazade were nominated. Self nominated: Yashar Ahmadov, Vugar Seyidov, Alimukhtar Akbarov and Sevinj Guliyeva applied to CEC for ratification of their presidential candidacies.
Several coalitions were formed in order to secure transparency of forthcoming presidential elections. Such as: “Free, Transparent, Fair Elections”, “My Vote” and “Election 2008”.

Yeni Musavat, 12.08.08

Whom will Ilham Aliyev delegate his authority to?

ACSDA’s expert replies to the newspaper’s question “Must presidential authority be delegated to Prime Minister when the election campaign starts?”

According to Article 69.2 of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: “The registered candidates who work in government bodies, municipal service, mass media on the basis of agreement of labor and civil right, plenipotentiaries of the campaign groups are dismissed during the period of election campaign (this rule doesn’t concern the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, MPs and municipal members); within at least 3 days, the ratified copy of the proper order is submitted to the election commission which registered them; they can not use their duty and position for obtaining privilege and superiority”.

The number of citizens, who possess the right of voting in the upcoming presidential elections, is expected to significantly increase in Azerbaijan.
“Every day 30-40 citizens apply to hotline, opened to specify voting lists, and it is expected that insignificant changes will take place in the voting lists,” Ramil Huseyov, the head of the Elections Information Centre at the Central Election Commission (CEC), told Trend News on 19 August.
According to the data by the Azerbaijani CEC for May, 4,834,584 voters were registered. More than 4,6mln were registered in the voting lists in 2007.
A total of 52% of voters are women and 48% are men.

Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, former chairman of Supreme Majlis (Assembly) of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) confirmed that he intends to withdraw his candidacy for presidential elections. “At the moment I am thinking about it,” Alibayli said to TrendNews.
Alibayli resigned from the post of chairman of the Supreme Assembly of PFPA and membership of the party a week ago. He decided to run for presidency and to deal with politics independently. Central Election Commission registered the candidacy of Alibayli in the meeting on 16 August.

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) held survey amongst the population with regards to the forthcoming presidential elections. “We know overall attitude. Being based on the results of the survey, we can say that our candidate Ilham Aliyev, who is supported by majority as well, will surely gain victory with majority of voices,” Deputy Executive Secretary of NAP, MP Mubariz Gurbanli said.
According to Gurbanli, despite the fact that the ruling party is sure of the victory of its candidate, the NAP prepared wide plan with respect to the elections. “We have wide plans with regards to election campaign and we continue to carry out our work in the direction of their realization. We completed our works to determine Party members, who will observe elections and other such issues.

Mass resignations are not expected to take place in the left-wing Azerbaijan Social Democrat Party (ASDP). “Only member of the Central Committee supported participation in the presidential elections during the discussions held on the participation in the elections,” Araz Alizade, the co-chairman of the ASDP, told Trend News on 19 August.
The ASDP made a decision not to participate in the presidential elections with own candidate at the Central Plenum held on 18 August. The decision is connected with the presence of financial problem, the party said.
Elshan Manafov, the member of the ASDP Central Committee, resigned from the party, protesting this decision on 19 August. Manafov explained reason of his resignation with the party’s decision not to join the elections and arousing of authoritarianism at the party. He said that he would establish the left-wing Democrat Party in future.

The Azerbaijani Parliament sent invitation to three international organizations, where it has joined, to observe the presidential elections to be held in autumn.
“Official invitations were sent to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the CIS Parliamentary Assembly,” the Parliament told Trend News on 19 August.
All three international organizations will send their observers to Azerbaijan on the base of their schedule. The international organizations have not yet responded to the invitation.

The parties, which refused from participation in the upcoming presidential elections, will receive a joint document. “We have already connected with parties, which refused to take part at the elections, and proposed them a document which reflects joint evaluation of the elections,” Fuad Mustafayev, Deputy Chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) told Trend News.
The Parties Cooperation Centre is proposed to establish at the meeting of the Council of Chairmen of the Azadlig bloc. Bloc has commissioned Mustafayev to hold talks in this direction.

Chairman of Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov has today met with the representatives of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Observation Mission Yevgeni Sloboda and Iosif Sidrovich. CEC press service told APA that the representatives of the observation mission concerned themselves with the pre-election situation in the country.

They said CIS observation mission will follow the presidential elections in a number of regions. The mission will arrive in Azerbaijan in mid-September and observe the voting. Report will be drawn up in the end.