The observation mission of Council of Europe (CE) who will observe upcoming presidential vote in Azerbaijan, will visit Baku on 15 September, Veronika Kotek, head of Council of Europe office in Baku said to media.
CE mission will be led by the co-reporter of the Parliament Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) on Azerbaijan Andreas Herkel.
Short-term monitoring group of CE will arrive in Baku several days before elections fixed at 15 October.
The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan has confirmed the nomination of 20 presidential contenders. The nomination of only two of them has been officially registered. /Trend/

All conditions have been provided in Azerbaijan for the conduct of free and fair elections, Elmar Mammadyarov, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan said during his meeting with Boris Firlec, head of observation mission of OSCE for presidential elections in Azerbaijan.
Minister stressed the importance of Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation in this field.
Minister also said Azerbaijan, which is in the process of democracy building, is committed to the international obligations and democratic values.
Firlec, who has observed parliamentary elections in Georgia and Armenia, said he has a relevant experience in this sphere. He spoke about the functions of observation mission and plans concerning upcoming presidential elections. The chief goal of observation is to help conduct democratic elections, he said. Firlec noted OSCE group of observers will inform public about their activities.

The Azerbaijani ELS Independent Investigation Centre publicized results of opinion poll held amongst 6,000 people in the first half of August in connection with the presidential elections. A total of 78.3% of people participating in this opinion poll supported Ilham Aliyev, the Centre told Trend news on 2 September.
A total of 0.1% of them supported Igbal Agayev, 0.5% – other candidates, whilst 11.3% of them refused to name of their favorite presidential candidate and 9.8% stated they are still to determine their opinion on the presidential contenders.
Respondents were also asked to name the candidate whom they wanted to see in the upcoming presidential race, as there is still opportunity to nominate candidature. Some 2.8% of respondents mentioned Isa Gambar, 1.5% - Ganira Pashayeva, 1.2% - Lala Shovkat Hajiyeva, 1.0% Vafa Guluzade and other persons.
Assessing social and political situation in Azerbaijan majority of respondents (91.7%) mentioned the presence of stable social and political situation in the country. Only 5.9% of them considered the current situation as unstable and 2.4% could not assess the situation.
A total of 88.9% of the inquired said that they would participate in the elections, 5.0% said no to polls and 6.1% avoided to state opinion in this respect as it is still to be shaped.
In response to question “Do you believe that the elections will be held fairly?” 70.9% of respondents expressed their faith, 20.9% - doubt and 9.1% found it difficult to answer. /Trend/

The National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) of Azerbaijan has clarified its position on tele-debate of presidential candidates.
“Tele-debates are not political propaganda materials, TV channels must have their own programs and this must be free of charge,” Nushiravan Maharramli, chairman of NTRC said to media.
Maharramli said it would be better if discussions on political propaganda and talk shows will be carried out within the programs of TV channels and radio stations.
“These materials can be used not as a political propaganda, but just to inform population. Because, this is not included in legal requirements for advertisements,” he added.
The TV channels themselves will determine the price for propaganda of presidential candidates, he said.
“The article of the Election Code on equal conditions for all candidates should be given priority,” Maharramli said.
The air time allotted for candidates will be distributed among them. The way the candidates will use this air time depends on candidates themselves,” NTRC chairman said.

The opposition Azadliq bloc of opposition parties of Azerbaijan has announced that it will not be close down.
“No party can demand us to suspend activities of Azadliq bloc,” Ali Aliyev, co-chairman of Azadlig bloc and chairman of Citizens and Development Party said to TrendNews.
“The establishment of new union does not mean the end of Azadliq bloc. When we initiated to establish a new union, our first condition was continuation of activities of Azadlig bloc. Because Azadlig bloc has went through thick and thin. Therefore, we are not going to conduct new experiments in this sphere,” Aliyev added.
According to him, there are allied relations among parties included in Azadlig bloc. Aliyev said it is impossible to speak about the establishment of such relations between parties of the new union. /Trend/

The further activity and form of cooperation amongst members of alliance will be specified after signing of the document to create a new union of opposition parties. “Measures will be taken to develop cooperation in opposition after signing of the document,” Isa Gambar, Head of the opposition Musavat party, told Trend News.
Several parties are expected to sign a document this week. The National Independent Party of Azerbaijan (ANIP), Democratic, Open Society and Classical Popular Front refused to participate in the upcoming presidential elections and stated that they would not join the deal.
“The parties, which are united in the cooperation centre, will sign a document, which will recognize illegitimacy of presidential elections. The document states the illegitimacy of the elections. The document is ready to be signed,” Gambar said.
The consultations with parties are being held. “The parties which will sign the document will be known after the consultations.
According to Mubariz Gurbanli, Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), establishment of a new opposition coalition will not have results. Recognition or non-recognition of presidential elections results does not depend on the statements by some opposition parties. /Trend/

Musavat party who has a right to take part in forming of election commissions in Azerbaijan will not change its position and will not send representatives to the election commissions.
“We demand commissions to be set up on equal basis between government and opposition which is also supported by international organizations as well. Musavat will not be represented in the commissions until government accepts these changes,” Isa Gambar, chairman of opposition Musavat party said to TrendNews.
According to Election Code, the composition of election commissions is set up by the members of majority party (NAP), minority parties in the parliament and neutral MPs. The elections commissions have not been set up yet as the opposition Musavat party has not sent its representatives to the Central Election Commission. Therefore, the representatives of other minority parties have not taken part in setting up election commissions.
After two years of interval, the minority parties in the parliament were enabled to send representatives to the election commissions. The minority pro-opposition Civil Solidarity Party has sent 42 representatives to the election commissions.
Gambar said election commissions function under the control of ruling party in no country all over the world. /Trend/

Nakhchivan’s 1st Sharur-Sadarak Election Constituency got a new three-storey building with 13 working rooms where all necessary conditions were created for deputy assistants and observers, Central Election Commission of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic told APA local bureau. The building was furnished with the necessary technical equipments, transparent ballot boxes, finger ink and detectors. There is 108-seat assembly hall in the building.
All six election constituencies in the Nakhchivan’s regions were provided with new modern administrative buildings. 4th Nakhchivan City Election Constituency will also get new building later this month.
There are seven election constituencies with 275 poll stations in the Autonomous Republic.

On the eve of the presidential elections, the Election Headquarters of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) held trainings for observers in 12 regional centers of Azerbaijan. The representatives from neighboring regions also participated in the trainings held in Ismayilli, Goychay, Gakh, Gabal, Mingachevir, Ganja, Shirvan, Saatli, Salyan, Lenkaran, Khachmaz and Guba regions. 2400 copies of the book “The Monitoring of the Presidential Elections-2008. Memory Book” were distributed among the observers.
In line with the trainings, the attestation of 49 regional coordinators was realized too.
ACSDA EH petitioned the Central Election Commission (CEC) for solving some problems arising in several constituencies related to the registration of observers.
The Election Headquarters expands its activity according to the working plan on the eve of the presidential elections.

Former Chairman of Supreme Assembly of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, presidential candidate Gulamhuseyn Alibayli has finished signature collection campaign. Alibayli told APA about it. He said that members of his election office collected signatures in various regions of Azerbaijan and the campaign finished.
“We will review the signatures within a day or two. Approximately 45,000 signatures have been collected. Of course we will remove some of them,” he said.
Gulamhuseyn Alibayli said the signatures would be submitted to the Central Election Commission not later than September 5. /APA/

Signature sheets of Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party and presidential candidate have been submitted to Central Election Commission (CEC). The party told APA that 44190 signatures had been submitted to CEC.
Signature collection campaign covered the majority of election constituencies.
Candidacy of Ilham Aliyev and Igbal Agazadeh has been officially registered. /APA/

The Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (WAPFP) and United Azerbaijan National Unity Party (UANUP) will issue a cooperation deal on September 10, APA reports. WAPFP chairman Gudrat Hasanguliyev and UANUP chairman Hajibaba Azimov reached agreement after discussions. According to the mutual agreement the UANUP will support the candidacy of Gudrat Hasanguliyev during the forthcoming presidential elections. /APA/