ID :
149101
Sun, 11/07/2010 - 23:35
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/149101
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Parliamentary elections to be held in Azerbaijan.
BAKU, November 7 (Itar-Tass) -- Azerbaijan this Sunday will elect
deputies to its parliament. The vote will take place at 5,314 polling
stations in 125 constituencies. It will begin at 08:00 and close at 19:00
local time (an hour ahead of Moscow time).
More than 4.9 million people are on the lists of voters.
Competing for seats in the 125-member parliament are 690 candidates,
fewer than half of the number of the 2005 parliamentary elections. They
represent 23 political parties, 13 of which are united in five election
blocs. Half of the candidates are independent. According to the central
election commission, the highest number of candidates in one constituency
is 14 and there are no fewer than four.
The undoubted favourite in the election campaign is the ruling party
New Azerbaijan, which has named 107 candidates. It hopes at least to
retain the number of seats it had in the previous-convocation parliament
-- almost two thirds.
New Azerbaijan will compete with three opposition blocs, including the
alliance of the People's Front parties and Musavat. Eight major opposition
political parties have nominated a total of 140 candidates. Their leaders
say they hope to take 50 seats.
The situation in Azerbaijan before the elections was the calmest in
the country's history. There were no rallies, no marches and no other mass
actions. The candidates' publicity campaign consisted of debates on public
television every evening and meetings with voters.
According to the Election Code, the vote will be valid with any
participation rate. It is enough for a candidate to gain just a majority
of votes to be elected.
The central election commission has preferred to use the tested
technologies. As in the previous parliamentary elections, fingers of
voters will be marked with special colourless ink to prevent double
voting. Besides, to ensure vote transparency, web-cameras are installed at
500 stations (almost ten percent of the total number) to allow monitoring
the process from the beginning to the final reports. Any Internet user can
see it on-line at the election commission's site.
The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry has done everything for all the
voters to have identity cards, the main documents to vote. Central
commission head Mazair Panakhov said on Saturday that voters would be also
allowed to vote with expired identity cards.
The information about the course of the vote will come from
constituencies to the Elections centre at the central commission (like the
Russian state automated system Elections). The data will be announced five
times during the day and promptly placed at the commission site.
The commission head promises to announce the preliminary results of
the elections during the night after the vote, though two days are
officially given.
Panakhov also said that the "115" hotline would be open at the central
commission for any voter or a candidate to report about violations if they
noticed some.
A total of 1,029 international observers representing 21 organisations
will monitor the vote. The largest delegation -- 353 people -- is sent by
the Commonwealth of Independent States. Large missions are also formed by
the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe -- 316 observers and
the European Election Monitoring Academy -- 168 people. Besides, 47,000
local observers, including 20,000 from political parties and
non-governmental organisations, will monitor the polls.
Exit polls will again be practiced in Azerbaijan. It will be conducted
by the local ELS company.
Reporters of 18 world media, including Itar-Tass, are accredited for
coverage of the elections.
The country's law-enforcement forces are on alert to ensure security
during the elections. At the same time, policemen are instructed not to
interfere in the vote process. Police will not make unnecessary steps
beyond their powers, the election commission head noted.
Parliamentary elections are held in Azerbaijan once in five years, and
since 2005 only according to the majority system.
-0-pan
deputies to its parliament. The vote will take place at 5,314 polling
stations in 125 constituencies. It will begin at 08:00 and close at 19:00
local time (an hour ahead of Moscow time).
More than 4.9 million people are on the lists of voters.
Competing for seats in the 125-member parliament are 690 candidates,
fewer than half of the number of the 2005 parliamentary elections. They
represent 23 political parties, 13 of which are united in five election
blocs. Half of the candidates are independent. According to the central
election commission, the highest number of candidates in one constituency
is 14 and there are no fewer than four.
The undoubted favourite in the election campaign is the ruling party
New Azerbaijan, which has named 107 candidates. It hopes at least to
retain the number of seats it had in the previous-convocation parliament
-- almost two thirds.
New Azerbaijan will compete with three opposition blocs, including the
alliance of the People's Front parties and Musavat. Eight major opposition
political parties have nominated a total of 140 candidates. Their leaders
say they hope to take 50 seats.
The situation in Azerbaijan before the elections was the calmest in
the country's history. There were no rallies, no marches and no other mass
actions. The candidates' publicity campaign consisted of debates on public
television every evening and meetings with voters.
According to the Election Code, the vote will be valid with any
participation rate. It is enough for a candidate to gain just a majority
of votes to be elected.
The central election commission has preferred to use the tested
technologies. As in the previous parliamentary elections, fingers of
voters will be marked with special colourless ink to prevent double
voting. Besides, to ensure vote transparency, web-cameras are installed at
500 stations (almost ten percent of the total number) to allow monitoring
the process from the beginning to the final reports. Any Internet user can
see it on-line at the election commission's site.
The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry has done everything for all the
voters to have identity cards, the main documents to vote. Central
commission head Mazair Panakhov said on Saturday that voters would be also
allowed to vote with expired identity cards.
The information about the course of the vote will come from
constituencies to the Elections centre at the central commission (like the
Russian state automated system Elections). The data will be announced five
times during the day and promptly placed at the commission site.
The commission head promises to announce the preliminary results of
the elections during the night after the vote, though two days are
officially given.
Panakhov also said that the "115" hotline would be open at the central
commission for any voter or a candidate to report about violations if they
noticed some.
A total of 1,029 international observers representing 21 organisations
will monitor the vote. The largest delegation -- 353 people -- is sent by
the Commonwealth of Independent States. Large missions are also formed by
the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe -- 316 observers and
the European Election Monitoring Academy -- 168 people. Besides, 47,000
local observers, including 20,000 from political parties and
non-governmental organisations, will monitor the polls.
Exit polls will again be practiced in Azerbaijan. It will be conducted
by the local ELS company.
Reporters of 18 world media, including Itar-Tass, are accredited for
coverage of the elections.
The country's law-enforcement forces are on alert to ensure security
during the elections. At the same time, policemen are instructed not to
interfere in the vote process. Police will not make unnecessary steps
beyond their powers, the election commission head noted.
Parliamentary elections are held in Azerbaijan once in five years, and
since 2005 only according to the majority system.
-0-pan
