Preparations for November 7 parliamentary elections are successfully underway in Baku and Azerbaijani regions, the CIS Observation Mission staff head Yevgeni Sloboda told Trend.

"Preparations for the parliamentary election were carried out in accordance with the Electoral Code in all the regions, where our mission had time to be," he said.

Sloboda said all constituencies that the mission visited last week both in Baku and other regions are technically ready for the elections.

"Undoubtedly, we will continue to visit Azerbaijani regions, including remote regions, to observe the pre-election situation," he stressed.

The first group of observers, including the organizational group, arrived in Baku Oct. 17 to conduct accreditation of short-and long-term observers on-site, establish the headquarters of observers.

Yevgeni Sloboda headed the CIS Observation Mission's staff also in the presidential elections in Azerbaijan in 2008.

Elections to the Azerbaijani parliament are scheduled for Nov. 7. According to a list submitted to the Central Election Commission, the number of voters constantly living in the country is about 5 million people.

Previous legislative elections were held in November 2005. Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are held by the majority system in 125 electoral constituencies.

Two CIS observation groups - short-term and long-term missions - will monitor the elections in Azerbaijan by carrying out pre-election monitoring and monitoring on election day, the executive committee said. One group will be located in Baku, while the second will be located in Azerbaijani regions.

The CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev will arrive in Azerbaijan on the eve of elections.

The CIS mission will issue a preliminary report on the day after the elections. The final report will be prepared within two months after the elections.

TREND