Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 7th September
[Presenter in studio] Members of the Yasamal, Narimanov and
Nizami district [in Baku] branches of the Musavat Party have
staged a picket in front of the Central Electoral Commission
[CEC], protesting changes in the composition of territorial
election commissions and violations admitted while casting lots. Saadat Mammadova has the report.

[Mammadova over the video of the picket] Members of the
Yasamal district branch of the Musavat Party protested the
CEC's decision to expel three members from Yasamal electoral
commission No 4. They say that opposition representatives were
barred from the lots-casting function held under the full
control of the law-enforcement agencies to elect new members to
replace the three. It was too late anyway. The Yasamal Musavat
members, who blew all their chances, boasted about managing to
hold five lots-casting functions. The pickets said that in
Nizami district, the lots-casting function was held early on
1st September at 0800 [0300 gmt] without notifying anyone. They
demanded that the composition of the Nizami district
territorial electoral commission be abolished and re-elected.

Although the members of the Musavat Nizami district branch had
appealed to the CEC, they have still not received any answer.
Representatives of the Narimanov district branch complained
that no information was given about the next lots-casting
function after the results of the previous one were annulled on
this territory.

A statement to the CEC adopted by the Musavat Party
demands that the lots-casting functions be held in compliance
with relevant legislation and not according to the desire of
ruling circles. The statement was subsequently handed in to the
CEC. Representatives of the pickets met Ilgar Abbasov,
secretary of the CEC.

Saadat Mammadova and Azer Muradov, ANS.
[Presenter in studio] After the meeting, Ilgar Abbasov
said that the idea that the lots-casting function in Yasamal
had proceeded under the full control of the law-enforcement
agencies was not true. Defending public order is not
interference with the lots-casting commission. Ilgar Abbasov,
who said the appeal received by the CEC from Nizami district
about the abolition of the composition of the territorial
electoral commission would be considered tomorrow at the
latest, also spoke about the results of his meeting with the
pickets. He noted that the CEC had no interest in who or which
party won the municipal elections, because the CEC itself was
not an interested side in this issue. On the other hand, the
CEC secretary said it was not the CEC that had created
territorial electoral commissions and the law did not allow it
to interfere in its work. Ilgar Abbasov again called on
politicians to compile their document correctly to avoid
disappointment.

Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1630 gmt 07 Sep 99
BBC Mon TCU 080999 cal/ek