Text of report by Azerbaijani Space TV on 31st August

[Presenter in studio] The first stage of the 12th December
municipal election campaign is nearing completion. Lots have
been cast in order to set up the precinct electoral commissions.

The Musavat Party secretary, Arif Hajiyev, told a press
conference today that the election campaign had been controlled
by the local executive power structures.

[Correspondent over video of press conference] Arif
Hajiyev said that the infringements had been tolerated in the
first stage of the municipal election campaign and that
executive power structures had prevented representatives of
initiative groups of the opposition parties and constituents
from joining the electoral commissions. Arif Hajiyev said that
in many districts, either protocols of political party nominees
for the electoral commissions had been returned on various
pretexts or previously-drawn up lists had been announced after
the lots-casting.

However, Arif Hajiyev said that in some
districts the protocols of the candidates endorced by the
political parties and public organizations had been returned.
In several districts the lots-casting has been held without the
awareness of the opposition parties. Arif Hajiyev thinks that
the Central Electoral Commission [CEC] is mainly guilty of
these irregularities. The opposition intends to hold mass
actions to protest against these cases.

We asked the deputy chairman of the CEC, Nizami Safarov,
to comment on the issue. Nizami Safarov said that if
infringements had in fact been observed during the
lots-casting, the CEC should first be informed of this. After
verifying these cases, the results of the lots-casting can be
annulled.

Source: Space TV, Baku, in Azeri 1300 gmt 31 Aug 99
BBC Mon TCU 310899 cal/vz