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HOT LINE REPORT N2 October
11-15, 2000
Electoral Violations Reported to the Azerbaijan Electoral
Rights Protection Hotline
On October 11, SOS- 938397 DER has received 12 reports.
On October 11, 2000, Theresa Freeze, a representative of
the Human Rights Watch on the Caucasus, and Riter Bukaeret,
a researcher of the organization, have met with the colleagues
of the Hotline for acquainting with the work of the Electoral
Rights protecting Hotline. The colleagues of the hotline have
given detailed information about their activity and received
reports on the illegalities.
ILLEGALITIES
1. Sumgait- according to the report from the 1st
Sumgait election district no.38, most of the candidates from
that district have been debarred from the elections by the
order of the government officials. 500-600 signatures in the
signature lists of each candidate, who has been refused to
register, have been declared invalid. In the words of Yasaman
Mahmudova, a candidate from this district, while she collected
signatures at a level of the law, the REC has refused to register
her candidacy. Mahmudova stated that the candidates being
ordered by the authorities have been registered without any
problem. While some of them have collected signatures by the
help of the Housing Exploitation Departments. In her words,
an expert Matanat Mammadov has declared 40 signatures invalid
while they were 39 at the lists. Mahmudova also added that
Adishirin Mirzayev, a member of the REC from the Popular Front
["Yurd" fraction] works by the order, as well.
2. Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Shamsadin Aliev, a candidate from the 2nd Binagadi
election district no.22, deputy chairman of the Party of Democratic
Path. There have been needed 9 signatures for the registration
of Aliev, it was noted at the unnumbered protocol of the REC
presented to Aliev. The main shortcomings in the protocol
were shown as the similarity of the signatures. The members
of the REC have come to that conclusion after the 2nd
checking. And the opinion has been given by the representatives
of the HED. Aliev has made a complaint to the CEC.
3. Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Prof. Adalat Rahimli, a candidate from Nizami-Khatai election
district no.13, deputy chairman of the Party of Democratic
Path. The reason has been shown of finding similar some of
the signatures collected in support of Rahimli. Rahimli has
estimated refusal of registering his candidacy as a political
order. In his opinion, by this act the authorities are trying
to elect Sirus Tabrizli, a candidate from the same district,
minister of Press and Information. Rahimli has appealed to
the CEC.
4. Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Hasan Kerimov, a candidate from Surakhani election district
no.20, a functionary of the Popular Front. According to the
report of the candidate, the local authorities have played
a special role in the refusal of registering him. In his words,
the representatives of the local government came to the houses
and took explanations from the voters, who have signed in
support of his candidacy. It is noted that there has been
relied upon those explanations in the decision of the REC.
5. Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Dilshad Huseinova, a candidate from Yasamal-Nasimi election
district no.25. Huseinova has herself collected 2,020 signatures
in support of her candidacy. In her words, the members of
the commission have made changes in her signature lists. (They
wrote a voter born in 1974 as 1984, and 1958 as 1988). Huseinova
has stated that the REC has not needed to check other lists
after having revealed of those falsifications. Huseinova has
appealed to the president for registering her candidacy.
6. Nakhichevan- the candidates from Nakhichevan election
district no.3. have made complaints on not using of the electoral
laws in that district. 3 candidates have been registered in
that election district: Anar Akhundzade, an employee of the
Nakhichevan local government, Tahir Allahyarov, former minister
interior of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic [AR], and an independent
candidate Fakhradin Shirzadov. A week before the beginning
of the propaganda campaign regarded in the law, the propaganda
posters of Akhundzade has been put in all the sides of the
city.
7. Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Aydin Guliev, a candidate from the 3rd Khatai
election district no.11, secretary of the ADP. Guliev stated
that the REC had refused to base its decision, and claims
that the decision was made by a political order. It is notable
that in the protocol of the REC was noted that the "Form
No.9" at the signature lists were old and some signatures
were invalid. Guliev will make a complaint to the CEC.
8. Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Agapasha Guliev, a candidate from Nasimi election district
no.27, chairman of the local branch of the Popular Front.
It is notable that neither oppositional nor independent candidates
have been registered in this district. The REC has hold propaganda
on electing general Timoshenko supported by the authorities.
In the words of Guliev, the chairman of the REC Agabala Guliev
is a close relative of Tahir Guliev, head of the local government,
and the signature lists have been checked in his home. 346
of his signatures have been declared invalid. Guliev has appealed
to the CEC and court in connection with the question.
9. Hajiqabul- the REC has refused to register the
candidacy of Khanhusein Aliev, a candidate from Hajiqabul-Salyan
election district no.94, director of the Press Distribution
"Qaya". Aliev stated that the REC has issued a decision
by the order of Agabala Gasimov, head of the local government.
In his words, Gasimov has recommended him to take back his
documents and not to take part in the elections. He even has
threatened Aliev in death. The candidate also added that the
REC has declared his 200 signatures unreliable. Only 6 members
of the commission have confirmed the invalidates of the signatures,
and 3 members have spoken against it. Aliev has appealed to
the CEC in connection with the happened incidents.
10. Masalli- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Piruz Dilanchi, a candidate from Masalli election district
no.77. According to the report of Dilanchi, the documents
of 2 candidates were lost after being presented to the REC.
Later those documents have been found in the home of the brother
of another candidate Ahad Abiev who is supported by the authorities.
Another candidate from that district whose candidacy was also
rejected- Tahmaz Tahmazov has also confirmed the statement
of Dilanchi on the illegalities at the REC. Tahmazov added
that 2 members of the REC has resigned from their posts as
a protest of illegalities.
11. Jabrail- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Khalyadin Khalilov, a candidate from Jabrail-Fizuli election
district no.95, member of the Musavat Party. 40 percent of
2,300 signatures of Khalilov have been checked. And after
getting a positive result in the checking of the REC members
held in the places, the chairman of the commission told the
candidate that he would be registered. In the words of Khalilov,
the situation has changed just after this. The chairman of
the REC has been pressured and ordered to refuse registering
the candidacy of Khalilov. When the candidate went to the
REC for taking his candidacy mandate, he was told that his
signatures were invalid. Khalilov stated that the REC has
refused to give the protocol of the commission on that issue.
QUESTIONING
12. Qabala- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Sadiq Dashdemirov, a candidate from Qabala election district
no.61, chairman of the local election headquarter of the Musavat
Party. The REC has declared 354 of 2,224 signatures collected
in support of the candidate invalid. But in the corresponding
document presented to the candidate was not shown the reasons
of those invalid signatures. And the commission has refused
to give the opinion of the working group to the candidate.
Dashdemirov has appealed to the CEC in connection with the
incident. And the CEC has not considered his complaint, yet.
The candidate has contacted with SOS-938397 hotline and asked
for a legal assistance. Dashdemirov was given a corresponding
legal instruction.
On October 12, SOS- 938397 DER has received 8 reports.
1. Baku- on October 11, 2000, the Sabail district
Court has issued a decision on preventing punishment and search
about Rasul Guliev, former parliament chairman, and candidate
from the proportional election list of the ADP. The functionaries
of his party have estimated the sentence of the court as misusing
of the authorities of their possibilities against its opponents
before the elections. Sardar Jalaloglu, secretary general
of the ADP, has stated that especially the law-enforcement
agencies have become a mean at the election policy. Jalaloglu
added that as soon as the ADP has declared its single candidates
lists, the authorities have immediately send the criminal
case opened 4 years ago to the court without having any concrete
facts. It is notable that either the CEC or the Milli Mejlis
has give agreement for giving any legal sanction about a candidate,
according to the legislature. This requisition of the law
has been violated.
2. Qabala- Aliverdi Aliverdiev, a dweller of Shafili
village of Qabala, has called the hotline and reported that
the election district in the village has been liquidated.
The dwellers of the village were told that they would vote
in the neighbour village. Alieverdiev added that liquidating
the election district in the village is connected with the
activation of the Musavat members in that village. In his
words, the voters have appealed to the REC and local government
and stated that if the election district were not restored
in the village, the dwellers of the village would not take
part in the polls. But neither the REC nor the local authorities
have considered their appeal. Aliverdiev said that the voters
have not appealed to the CEC, as they do not believe it.
3. Qabala- Sadiq Dashdemirov from Qabala election
district no.61 has reported the hotline that the electricity
is cut, while the oppositional candidates made a speech on
TV. On October 11, the electricity has been stopped while
Sardar Jalaloglu, secretary general of the ADP, was speaking
on TV, and again has been lit when the program finished. The
Regional Electricity Network told them that the electricity
has been stopped from Baku. According to the report of Dashdemirov,
on October 11, the head of the local government has held a
closed conference. In his words, the local authorities have
ordered the local law-enforcement agencies to make the voters
in the election districts vote for the candidate of the authorities
Fattah Heidarov. In the conference was also ordered the heads
of offices and enterprises to collect signatures from their
employees on voting for Fattah Heidarov.
4. Imishli- Ibrahim Qorkhmaz, a voter from Imishli
election district no.68, has reported the hotline that the
electricity in all the region is stopped while an oppositional
candidate speaks on TV. In his words, the electricity transformers
have been taken under the name of repairing. That is why,
the people can not use of electricity. The voters can not
watch the speeches of the party representatives that participate
in the parliamentary elections. The electricity transformer
has been taken in the village [Yalavaj], where lives Mirheidar
Safiev, a candidate, chairman of the local branch of the Party
Musavat.
5. Dashkesen- Sohbat Ismailov, chairman of Dashkesen-Khanlar
REC no.91, has not allowed the members of the Popular Front
to be represented at the Local Election Commissions. As a
reason, the REC chairman showed that local branch of the Popular
Front has not been registered in the region. In the report
is stated that Ismailov is acting by the order of Meydanali
Yolchuyev, deputy head of the local government.
6. Saatli- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Annagi Hajiev, a candidate from Saatli election district
no.81. In his words, the members of the REC from the Popular
Front have stated that his signatures were not invalid. Hajiev
stated that the REC has refused to register his candidacy
by the order of the local authorities.
7. Baku- Ali Jafarov, a candidate from Nizami election
district no.12, chairman of the local branch of the Popular
Front, reported that his signature lists have been torn by
the members of the YAP. The candidate has informed about it
to the REC. a representative of the YAP has confirmed that
he tore the signature lists, and said the secretary of the
REC that "collection of signature is a sabotage against
the president".
8. Baku- according to the information of the Popular
Front’s election headquarter, the electricity has been stopped
in some provinces of Azerbaijan during the speech of the party
leader on TV. For that reason, the voters could not watch
the speech of Ali Kerimov on TV in Qakh, Zakatala, Balakan,
Bilasuvar regions, and in some districts of Sumgait and Baku
on October 9, 2000.
The Reports:
October 13-14
Introduction
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Posted October 19, 2000 © Eurasianet
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