Activity of the opposition Democratic Elections Centre (DEC) in Azerbaijan was suspended temporarily.
This decision was made at the next meeting of the DEC, Mirmahmud Miralioglu, the chairman of the Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (CPFPA) told Trend News on 5 September.
Nine parties, including the CPFPA, the Azadlig Party, the National Democratic Party, the Open Society Party, the Great Azerbaijan Party, the Unified Popular Front party of Azerbaijan, the Takamul Party, the Greens Party and the Great Establishment Party are represented at the DEC established in January.
“The Centre suspended its activity temporarily in connection with the presidential elections. It will not function by the end of the presidential election,” Miralioglu said.
According to Miralioglu, the format of the DEC was not changed. “Change of format was not on the agenda,” he said. /Trend/

Some Azerbaijani opposition parties refused to join to the opposition’s joint statement.
The Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan and the Open Society Party did not join the opposition parties’ joint statement boycotting the presidential elections, Ali Karimli, the co-chairman of Azadlig bloc and the chairman of the National Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) told journalists on 5 September.
Karimli said that negotiations were held with these parties. “Technical problems aroused at the Open Society Party to make a decision, but they expressed their agreement with this statement. The document was also coordinated with Mirmahmud Miralioglu, the chairman of the CPFPA. The Union For Democracy, where the CPFPA is included, put forward terms, that if all parties represented at the Union join the statement, the CPFPA can sign this document,” Karimli said.
The CPFPA agrees with principles of the statement, Miralioglu, the chairman of the CPFPA told Trend News on 5 September.
“The Union For Democracy believes that it would be more real if all parties of the Union sign the joint statement. Thus Azadlig bloc joined the statement with all three parties, which are represented at the organization. If all four parties represented at the Union (the CPFPA, the Azadlig Party, the Great Azerbaijan Party and the National Democratic Party) do not decide to join the statement, the CPFPA will not join the document, as well,” Miralioglu said. /Trend/

Ruling New Azerbaijan Party of Azerbaijan (NAP) has announced that opposition parties not taking part in presidential elections do not have a right to assess the outcome of the vote.
“Opposition parties not taking part in the elections have either lost their electorate or they are not pleased with the rules that everybody accepts,” Aydin Mirzazade, member of Political Council of NAP said to TrendNews on 5 September.
“The election which lacks free competition conditions and boycotted by major presidential candidates can not be considered legitimate,” a statement said. The document also said pre-election situation in the country does not allow conducting free and fair elections. Political activity is too weak. Many obstacles are created for political parties. Freedom of assembly is almost banned.
Representative of ruling party said political forces not going to take part in the elections does not have any moral right to assess outcome of the vote.
“This is unreasonable and contradicts moral principles. It contradicts political rules to assess outcome of the vote when it has not been held yet”.
He said it is common knowledge that parties boycotting elections does not have public support and they are obliged to boycott elections as they know they will lose it.
MP added presidential election have not started yet, only part of the process has bee completed. “Neither local nor foreign observers have disagreements about elections in this stage. Anyone wishing to take part in the elections has been nominated. No problems emerged in registration of candidates and sign-collection process. Presidential elections will be seriously observed,” Mirzazade said.
He said political forces left aside focus of attention try to prove their existence by boycotting elections and signing statement. But public is not interested in what they are saying.
Representative of ruling party said there have always been contradictions between statement signing parties. Mirzazade said after some time one of the parties will gain certain political dividend and will accuse others and stop cooperation as before.
He said the joint statement by opposition will not have any impact on assessment of elections by international organizations. /Trend/

The time allotted for signature collection campaign of the presidential candidates has expired today. Press service of Central Election Commission (CEC) told APA that the candidates had presented the signatures by 18.00 pm. CEC will check the voters’ signatures and pass decision whether to register their candidacy or not.
The candidacy of President Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of Umid Party Igbal Agazadeh has been registered so far. /APA/

Azerbaijan Democrat Party changed decision to observe presidential elections, to be held on October 15, the Party chairman Serdar Jalaloglu told the APA. According to Jalaloglu, the Party worked hard on preparation of observing this process till the elections were declared. The Party also participated in the trainings together with US International Republicans Institute. “Why should we observe the elections if don’t participate in it?” Jalaloglu stated. Meanwhile, other parties intend to observe the elections notwithstanding their boycotting.

Central Election Commission (CEC) has held next meeting today, APA reports.
The meeting considered appeal of Intigam Mammadov, official of Express newspaper, who nominated for Presidency on October 15. After approval of his nomination, Press Group on control of promotion campaign in media during presidential elections was established under CEC.
CEC Secretary Natig Mammadov noted that CEC members Azer Tagiyev, Almas Gahramanova, Fuad Javadov, CEC Press Service, AzTV, ANS, Space, Lider, ITV, AzerTAc, APA, Olaylar, Turan, Yeni Musavat 525-ci qezet and Azerbaijan would be represented in the body.
Compositions of several ConECs have been changed during the meeting. /APA/

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an election observation mission to observe presidential election in Azerbaijan.
The mission’s Baku headquarter has been opened on Thursday. The mission headed by Ambassador Boris Frlec of Slovenia includes 12 core team members and 28 long-term observers from 23 OSCE participating States. The election observation mission will be joined by approximately 450 short-term observers shortly before election day.
Boris Frlec said the mission has already held meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and central Election Commission. Members of the mission intend to meet with the candidates and public figures as well. The election observation mission will make its first report third week of September and next report early October. Boris Frlec said one of the important aspects in current phase was monitoring of press. “Our duty is monitoring, but not interference. We are only monitoring and making reports and recommendations. We don’t make conclusion on the legitimacy of election. OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will make its opinion together with its partners from PACE next day after the election. The mission will end its activity later October and will make final report two months later”. /APA/

Four of the presidential candidates have withdrawn their candidacy, Secretary of Central Election Commission (CEC) Natig Mammadov said today at the meeting, APA reports. He said that advisor of Medeniyyet newspaper Teymur Guliyev, collaborator of Express newspaper Intigam Mammadov, department chief of scientific-methodic journal of Education Fikrat Ahadov and PHD on Physics Gudrat Isagov appealed to CEC to withdraw their candidacies.
According to Mammadov, Guliyev explained withdrawal of his candidature with the current situation in South Caucasus and Fikrat Ahadov and Intigam Mammadov said that they could not gather required 40 signatures to register his candidature. Another candidate stated that he decided to withdraw his candidacy in the favour of current president Ilham Aliyev.
CEC passed a decision to cancel their candidacy after considering their applications. /APA/

Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli, who nominated for the presidential elections, completed signature collecting campaign.
“On Friday we will present the signatures to the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan,” Gorhmaz Ibrahimli, Head of the Election Office of the former Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the oppositional Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli, told TrendNews on 4 September. Ibrahimli said that they collected nearly 50,000 signatures. “Currently we verify the collected signatures and will complete it tomorrow. The signatures were collected in all regions of Azerbaijan,” Ibrahimli said. /Trend/

On September 5, the members of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) met with the officials of Council of Europe Azerbaijan office.
The head of the ACSDA EH Maharram Zulfugarli gave broad information about ACSDA’s activity on the sphere of civil society development, and the works realized by EH. He also talked about expansion their cooperation with local offices of several international organizations including OSCE, IFES, US International Republicans Institute, US Counterpart Organization and Eurasia Cooperation Foundation. He stated that they intend to expand relations with CE Baku office too. Zulfugarli informed the CE officials about the election enlightenment, monitoring of the elections, exit poll and quick count operations to be realized by the ACSDA EH. M. Zulfugarli stated that the Association held trainings for election observers in Ismayilli, Goychay, Gakh, Gabala, Shirvan, Saatli, Salyan, Khachnaz, Guba, Goychay, Mingachevir and Ganja from August 15 through September 2. He also informed the attendees of the distribution of “The Monitoring of Presidential Elections – 2008 Memory Booklet” among observers. Besides, ACSDA plans to hold exit-poll and quick-count on Election Day.
Elvin Mammadov, the assistant on election of CE Azerbaijan office, gave information about measures taken related to the forthcoming presidential elections. According to him, a delegation consisting of 5 officials from Council of Europe is expected to come to Azerbaijan on September 15. Besides, a watchdog group including 30 observers will visit Azerbaijan on the eve of the presidential elections.
At the end of the event the parties came to an agreement on organizing meeting of ACSDA representatives and CE officials who will come to Azerbaijan. ACSDA also sent a letter to CE Secretary General’s special envoy Veronica Cotec concerning the matter.

Azerbaijan Press Council (PC) summed up the monitoring, held in July-August to define general tendencies in press, APA reports citing the PC. According to the given information, the number of materials published in the monitored mass media diminished and it attains a seasonal character. Some total 73343 materials were published in the newspapers, monitored in July-August. The number of religious materials (3304) prevailed in comparison with early 2008. Quoting a secret source or absence of source decreased as compared with May-June. /APA/

The Central Election Commission finished sending invitations to the international organizations for observation of presidential elections in Azerbaijan on October 15. Chief of CEC Foreign Relations Department Rovzat Gasimov told APA part of international organizations have replied invitations. OSCE, CIS, the Council of Europe and other organizations will send observation missions. “OSCE long-term observation mission has already arrived in Baku and started its activity. Probably other international organizations will also send their long-term missions. Azerbaijan will create all opportunities for their observation”. Gasimov said Azerbaijan’s CEC would invite central election commissions of other countries it cooperated with. “We talked with a number of central election commissions and agreed this issue. We will send official invitations in the next few days”. Gasimov said no international observers have registered in CEC yet. He said registration of international observers would be completed 10 days before the elections. /APA/