Coalition set up by opposition forces boycotting presidential elections in Azerbaijan will not be able to change election situation and influence its outcome.
“But this policy will be continued after presidential elections. Municipality elections will follow presidential elections and set up of coalition is of great significance for the opposition after 2008,” editor-in-chief of pro-opposition Musavat newspaper Rauf Arifoglu said to TrendNews.
Though Classic Popular Front Party took part in the meetings to work out the document, it did not sign it.
Arifoglu said the coalition was set up late. Recently, party Musavat, Popular Front and Classic Popular Front Party offered to set up union of opposition. “But I offered to set up union not to boycott elections, but to take part in it,” he said.
It is important to expand coalition to make it more efficient. This is first step taken to create union of opposition. It would be better if several organizations possessing real structures and well-known public figures joined this coalition, Arifoglu said.
He added new coalition must appeal authorities until presidential elections to stage mass demonstrations. There are offices of a coalition all over the country including Baku.
“It would be better for leaders of the organizations included in the union to visit regions. It would pave a way for a new process. It this is carried out, it will be possible to attract voters and to turn it into an organization,” said editor-in-chief. /Trend/

There are disagreements amongst Azerbaijani opposition parties on places to hold mass actions.
Presidential candidature Fazil Gazanfaroglu, the chairman of the Great Establishment Party (GEP) does not think that places allocated by the Baku City Administration to hold mass actions, are far from the centre of the city. “There are places with normal conditions within the precincts of a city in the list of places allocated for assembly. Organizer of actions can assemble enough supporters at these places,” Gazanfaroglu told Trend News on 10 September.
In accordance with the Law on Freedom of Assembly, the Baku City Administration specified addresses of places to hold demonstrations in districts of the capital city.
According to Gazanfaroglu, monitoring should be organized to solve problems of technical provision to hold mass actions in the places allocated with this respect: “Political parties and representatives of the non-governmental organizations (NGO) should develop a reference on these places. References will clarify opportunity to hold mass demonstrations at the places. Afterwards, unambiguous opinion can be formed on success of these places.”
The GEP chairman stated that the party would hold mass actions in Baku and regions of the country during pre-elections campaign. “We are not interested in holding mass actions at places, which are not allocated for mass actions, because we will hold mass actions not to break out clashes, but to gain votes of people,” Gazanfaroglu said.
Ali Aliyev, the co-chairman of Azadlig bloc and the chairman of the Citizen and Development Party (CDP), believes that new places allocated by the Baku City Administration, do not differ from the previous places.
“Objective of mass actions is to draw public attention to existing problems. Allocating places for mass actions beyond the city is to minimize importance of mass actions and to prevent organizers to publicize their positions and aim of actions for the public,” Aliyev told Trend News.
According to Aliyev, opposition political organizations signing joint declaration will hold discussions on holding mass actions. “Decision to hold mass demonstrations will depend on character of period of the pre-elections campaign,” he said.
Political organizations signing joint document do not intend to hold mass demonstrations at the new allocated places, the CDP chairman said. “If mass actions are hold at a distance, they will not be brought to the public attention. I think that it is suitable to hold mass actions at places near to centre, where people can come there easily,” Aliyev said.
On 5 September the parties included in Azadlig bloc the (the Popular Front Party, the Liberal Party and the Citizen and Development), the Musavat Party and the Public Forum ‘For Azerbaijan’ signed a joint statement on recognition of the presidential elections to be held on 15 October as illegitimate. Authorities, which will be formed after the presidential elections, are announced as illegitimate in the statement. /Trend/

Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan will conduct an exit poll at the presidential elections to take place in the country on 15 October, Association’s representatives said at a press conference at the Trend News Company International Press Centre on 10 September.
The exit poll will be conducted by ELS Independent Research Centre. Head of the Centre Irada Yagubova said the poll will cover 500 districts in 125 constituencies.
According to Yagubova, the exit poll will use transparent ballot-boxes. Anonymity of the voters will be provided. The results will be systematically conveyed to the central election headquarters. Approximately in eight hours after completion, the results of the exit poll will be placed on the websites of the Association www.azerbaijan-election.net and www.avciya.az.
ELS will also conduct Quick Count (quick counting of votes), which will enable comparing the results of the voting with the results of exit poll.
On 11 September, ELS will commence trainings for 1,000 interviewers, who will conduct parallel vote counting, all over the country.
Chairman of Association’s election headquarters Maharram Zulfugarli stated that the organization will fulfill the observation mission within the frames of the international standards. According to him the Association has close relationships with US Republicans Institute, National Democracy Institute and some other international organizations. M. Zulfugarli said trainings and workshops are underway for observers.
According to Zulfugarli, Association’s observers will watch the elections in more than 5,000 voting stations. Early results will be publicized on 16 September. /Trend/

The republic meeting of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) was held on 8 September due to the upcoming presidential elections. Delivering a speech at the meeting, Ali Ahmadov, NAP Executive Secretary and Deputy Chairman, spoke about works carried out due to preparations to the presidential elections and task put forward party’s regional organizations. A source told Trend News.
Azerbaijan will host the presidential elections on 15 October. The candidature of the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev and chairman of NAP was officially registered in the Central Election Commission.
The meeting guaranteed that NAP’s potential will be able to hold the election campaign on high rate. The agitation program, tasks and new agitation means were the subject of the meeting.
Party’s regional organizations were charged with necessary recommendations to hold agitation campaign. /Trend/

The opposition Azerbaijani Democratic Party (ADP) believes that some opposition party’s statements to recognize results of the presidential elections as illegal is a wrong political step.
“Some opposition party’s statement will lead to worsening of democratic situation in Azerbaijan, while danger aroused for state independency of the country in the region,” the ADP said.
According to the ADP, the statement damaged future serious and strategic cooperation of the opposition. /Trend/

The first assembly of the press group set under Central Election Commission (CEC) related to the presidential elections, was held on September 8, APA reports. CEC member Azar Tagiyev was appointed the chief of the group. The meeting attendees discussed the measures to be taken in election campaign stage. A. Tagiyev stated that the group mainly controls how the demands of the Election Code are kept, observes announcements and propaganda materials in press. According to Tagiyev, foreign mass media and press representatives not petitioned to CEC are not entitled to partake in election campaign. /APA/

Elshan Manafli, secretary of the opposition left-wing Azerbaijani Social Democratic Party (ASDP), was dismissed from the organization.
“Manafli was dismissed from the ASDP at the decision of the Central Committee Plenum, because he opposed the party’s policy and tried to create split inside the party,” Araz Alizade, the co-chairman of the ASDP told Trend News on 8 September.
Alizade and Ayaz Mutallibov, ex-president of Azerbaijan, who at present lives in immigration, are co-chairmen of the left-wing opposition ASDP party.
Private meeting of the ASDP Central Committee was held on 6 September. Party’s interior issues were discussed at the meeting. Manafov, who is Mutallibov’s close supporter and blamed Alizade for his incapability to rule over the party, wad dismissed from the party. /Trend/

[he Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) will not examine appeal of candidates who did not give back signature lists in time.
“According to law, the deadline for submitting signature papers expired at 06:00p.m. 5 September. It was not CEC, but those not submitting signature lists in time who have violated law,” Azar Saryev, spokesman of CEC said to TrendNews on 6 September.
Sariyev said 21 people have been nominated for presidency and they have taken signature lists from CEC.
“Ilham Aliyev, candidate from New Azerbaijan Party, Igbal Agazade, chairman of Umid Party, Hafiz Hajiyev, chairman of Muasir Musavat party, Qudret Hasanguliyev, chairman of Unified Popular Front Party, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, chairman of Great Establishment Party, Mais Gulaliyev, chairman of Green Policy initiative group, poet Agaevli Ali Isa, Fuad Aliyev, chairman of Liberal Democrat Party and independent candidate Gulamhuseyn Alibayli have collected the necessary 40,000 signatures and submitted to CEC,” CEC representative said.
A total of seven candidates has not returned signature lists and four people have withdrew their candidacy.
Sariyev said candidacy of two of them has been canceled.
The unemployed Alimukhtar Akbarov gave back signature lists to CEC without any signatures. Teymur Guliyev, Fikrat Ahadov, Mubariz Allahverdiyev and Intigam Mammadov, who had been nominated independently, have withdrawn their candidacy.
Though Qudrat Isaqov, senior research fellow of Physics Institute of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (NASA) said to media he has withdrawn his candidacy, he has not made an official appeal to CEC. Therefore, his name is in the list of those who has not submitted signature lists. The unemployed Yashar Ahmadov, hospital attendant Sevinj Quliyeva, doctor Vugar Seyidov, editor-in-chief of Ekspertiza newspaper Suleyman Guliyev, unemployed Arif Aliyev, and Aliyev Sarafli, senior research fellow of Literary Institute of could not return signature lists in time. As Safarli and Aliyev brought signature lists to CEC after 06:00p.m., they were not accepted. /Trend/

316 polling stations will function in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) during the presidential elections, APA’s local bureau reports citing the Central Election Commission of NAR. 292 polling stations were established in 7 constituencies. 17 of them were created newly as the result of increasing amount of voters. According to CEC of Nakhchivan the voters’ lists were specified and ratified. The number of electors is 235.562 for August 2008. 6635 of them will vote for the first time. Meanwhile, on the Election Day all the constituencies will function in newly constructed buildings in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. /APA/

[he Azerbaijani authorities call the statements by some opposition parties to estimate the presidential elections as illegal and to consider the authorities to be formed after the elections as illegitimate, as imitation.
“Party, which does not participate in the elections, should be engaged in any activities. It is important for the party to have definite influence and social support in the society with this purpose. However, the opposition lacks of it. They lost their image by not joining the presidential elections and at preset they are engaged in imitation,” Ali Hasanov, the head of the Public and Political Department of the President’s Administration told Trend News on 8 September.
The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan on 15 October. The parties included in Azadlig bloc the (the Popular Front Party, the Liberal Party and the Citizen and Development), the Musavat Party and the Public Forum ‘For Azerbaijan’ signed a joint statement on recognition of the elections as illegitimate on 5 September. Authorities, which will be formed after the presidential elections, are announced as illegitimate in the statement.
According to Hasanov, there is not any problem with candidate in the presidential elections. “Most part of political palette is represented in the elections. The elections will be held in transparent and struggle condition. Therefore, the opposition’s activity will influence neither positively nor negatively on society and this activity is insignificant for everybody,” he said. /Trend/

Verification of signatures presented by presidential candidates to CEC will be concluded till September 15, Ilham Mammadov, member of Working Group under CEC told APA.
To him, signatures of two candidates have been checked up by now and their candidacy has been approved. The work on verification of signatures of four candidates and other election documents is due to over and work on other four candidates is under way. Officials of Justice Ministry Court Examination Center and specialists of Interior Ministry Passport Registration Department participate in checking up process. Surveys on property of candidate and debts to the state are sent to Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Taxes, Real Estate State Register Service, State Committee for Property Management and Traffic Police Department and correctness of information presented by candidate is verified. Mammadov added that there was forging of signatures as well.
“It is impossible to speak about ideality of signatures. Main shortage is signature of several electors instead of one voter, signatures of electors under 18, incorrect registration of numbers on identity cards”, he said. /APA/

Azerbaijan’s opposition parties which boycott the elections process in the country called the upcoming presidential elections illegal.
On 5 September, bloc Azadlig, Musavat party and the Forum For Azerbaijan signed a joint statement recognizing the elections and the power which will come after the elections as illegal.
The statement is logic continuation of boycotting, leader of the National Unity Movement Lala Shovkat said after the signing ceremony.
According to chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Ali Karimli, the new cooperation format is open for other political forces. The parties intend to hold joint protest, he said.
“There is a great hope that the cooperation will be successful,” head of the Musavat party Isa Gambar said.
President of the Forum For Azerbaijan Eldar Namazov said the new union intends to achieve establishment of democratic system in Azerbaijan.
Bloc Azadlig unites the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Citizen and Development Party, Liberal Party. /Trend/