Text of report from Azerbaijani newspaper 'Yeni Musavat' on 12th December by
Etibar Jabrayilogu entitled "Ballot papers had already been distributed
yesterday"

[Subhead] Our editorial office received ballot papers distributed one day
before the [municipal] elections

Yesterday [11th December] several people, who requested anonymity, brought
ballot papers with the names of the candidates in the Zig settlement
municipality of Surakhany [district in Baku] constituency No 10 to our
editorial office. These people said that the ballot papers have already
been distributed in the settlement for several days.
The source said that all the candidates who were registered as the members
of the [ruling] New Azerbaijan Party [NAP] on the ballot paper, while
collecting signatures introduced themselves as independent candidates. But
they joined the NAP just a few days before the elections.
Although we got in touch with the chairman of Surakhany constituency No 10,
Suleyman Zulfugarov, in order to learn the reasons for distribution of
ballot papers to voters before the elections, nobody replied to our
telephone call.

Evaluating this fact, the chairman of the permanent elections headquarters
of the People's Front of Azerbaijan Party, Alimammad Nuriyev, said that he
also had obtained reports about distribution of ballot papers before the
elections in the majority of districts. Nuriyev thinks that the
distribution of ballot papers beforehand shows that the authorities have
already identified who will be elected to the municipalities.
When the newspaper was being prepared for publication our regional
correspondent reported that the voting had already started yesterday [a day
before polling day] at the polling station in the village of Bahmatli of
Zakataly District [northern Azerbaijan].

A report from Sumgait [town near Baku] said that 100 dollars had been given
to every precinct commission. A list of the members of municipalities to be
elected in Sumgait is also already known.

Source: 'Yeni Musavat', Baku, in Azeri 12 Dec 99 p1
BBC Mon TCU 131299/** sh/fa