Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 12th December

[Presenter, in studio] President Heydar Aliyev has voted in polling station
No 17 of Sabail territorial electoral commission No 9 [Baku].

[Aliyev - recording, video shows him near a ballot box casting his vote and
speaking to reporters] This is the most complicated election of all the
elections we have held so far, because there are many candidates here and
these municipalities cover the whole of Azerbaijan. There are large and
small municipalities. The Baku municipalities are naturally large. For
example, this district has probably one or two municipalities, but one
municipality is the main part of it. However, in the countryside, every
village and settlement has its own municipality. For this reason, holding
municipal elections is more complicated than holding presidential or
parliamentary elections, I mean the elections we have held so far. But I
think that I have been following this process since the decree on municipal
elections was issued and the date for them named. I think that over the
last few years, since the issue of the decree on municipal elections and
the start of effective work, a lot of work has been carried out in
Azerbaijan. And the main result is that the municipalities are being
organized for the first time. There are no municipalities [i.e. we are
creating them now]. But in the next municipal elections, we shall have this
year's experience and the municipalities will have been functioning for
five years. That is why people will know what municipalities are and what
the advantages and disadvantages, successes and shortcomings are. For
example, in the next municipal elections, we will be able to achieve much
more, of course. That is why I think that it has not been easy, both to
organize it because this is the first election, and for people to perceive
it and show full interest in it, because they are not accustomed to it.

Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1100 gmt 12 Dec 99
BBC Mon TCU 121299/** km/ek