Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 13th December

[Presenter in studio] Representatives of Turkish political parties, Nurettin
Atik from Diyarbakir, Ali Gunver from Igdir, Hasan Gulay from Malisa, Hasan
Huseynbalak from Trabzon and Ali Kamal Basharan from Tokay, who
participated in the municipal elections in Azerbaijan as observers, today
met President Heydar Aliyev and said the elections had proceeded under
democratic conditions. Aytan Safarova has the details:

[Correspondent, over video of the meeting] Welcoming the guests, President
Heydar Aliyev noted that municipal elections had been held in Azerbaijan
for the first time and stressed that it was another important step towards
democracy. He said there were many paths, but Azerbaijan had taken the path
of democracy and was moving forward persistently. Heydar Aliyev expressed
the hope that Azerbaijan would take the place it deserved in the legal and
democratic space of the world. Touching on the process of the municipal
elections, the president said they had proceeded under democratic
conditions as a whole, but there were violations in some areas.

[Aliyev] A head of the executive authorities in the country, I mean the head
of a district, interfered in this. I will look into this issue today and
make a very serious decision regarding that official, because nobody should
interfere with this. People and citizens should come freely and vote for
anyone they want and elect anyone they want.

[Correspondent] Heydar Aliyev also noted that in Sabail district [of Baku]
where he voted, 82 persons were on the list, and he chose 19. Quote, if I
know two or three of these people and have difficulty in voting for any of
the 82, imagine how difficult it was for others, end quote. The guests
noted in their speeches that the municipal elections were democratic. Aytan
Safarova and Azer Muradov, ANS.

Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1730 gmt 13 Dec 99