|
|
| AZERBAIJAN
ELECTION WATCH
|
 |
|
|
HOT LINE REPORT N3
October 16-21, 2000
Electoral Violations Reported to the Azerbaijan Electoral
Rights Protection Hotline
On October 16, 2000, SOS-938397 Hotline has received
6 reports.
ILLEGALITIES
- Baku- according to the report of the election headquarters
of the Musavat Party, there are made obstacles on placing
the publicity boards of the party. The colleagues of the
Ministry of Taxes have inspected the company that charged
to place the publicity boards of the Party Musavat. The
party also informed that by this act the authorities have
hinted that the fate of the company that took upon itself
to place the publicity boards of the pro-oppositional parties
would not be good. The Advertising and Information Department
of Baku City Mayor has stated that the advertising boards
do not belong them, while most of them are free. Regardless
of the appeals of the party to the involved organizations
concerning the question, the problem still remains unsolved.
- Quba- on October 14, 2000, Gulaga Agaiev, a candidate
from Quba-Devechi election district no.64, has been beaten
by the local officials. Mardan Aliev, a close relative of
Agaiev, has reported that the candidate wanted to meet with
the head of the local government for making a complaint
on breaking his meeting with his voters. But Hasan Ahmadov,
first deputy of the local government, and Gulaga Bakhishov,
another deputy, told him that he would be elected as deputy.
The dispute has become a conflict and Gulaga Agaiev has
been beaten. The police have come to the place of incident,
and the injured Gulaga Agaiev has been taken to a hospital.
- Zangilan- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Ali Guliev, a candidate from Zangilan-Qubadli election
district no.86, chairman of the Support Center for Democratic
Elections. In the words of Guliev, the REC has declared
some of his signatures invalid and stated there are needed
132 signatures for registering his candidacy. Later Ali
Guleiv has appealed to the CEC with a letter of complaint.
But in his words, the CEC has stated that his application
is groundless without holding any investigation and claiming
any document from the REC. Guliev has applied to the Narimanov
district court, as well. And the court has issued a sentence
that the action was groundless. At the end, Guliev has applied
to the Court of Appeal.
- Baku- the CEC has considered the applications of
complaint of Akif Shahbazov, MP from the Democrat Party,
candidate from Bilasuvar election district no.58, and Panah
Huseinov, chairman of the People’s Party, candidate from
Sabirabad election district no.82. The CEC has kept in force
the decision of the local election commissions on the refusal
of registering of both candidates. In addition, Akif Shahbazov
has appealed both to the Court of Appeal and CEC on the
decision of the REC. Gudrat Hasanguliev, a secretary of
the CEC, stated that the signatures have been checked at
the CEC and after the complaint made to the Court of Appeal,
the court has conducted an examination and an expert of
the Ministry of Justice has checked the signatures. In the
words of Hasanguliev, 72 signatures have been declared invalid
as a result of the checking. And as a result of the checking
of the CEC, 81 signautres have been declared invalid.
- Baku- there has not been allowed Ali Kerimov, deputy
chairman of the Popular Front ["Yurd" wing], to
meet with the intellectual women. While the meeting has
been scheduled for October 15, 2000, at the Rashid Behbudov
Theater of Music, the mayor of Baku City has not allowed
that meeting stating that there will be a concert on that
date at the theater. And instead, has suggested to change
the time of the meeting, and Kerimov has agreed with it
and changed the time of the meeting. While the Mayor of
the city has stated that they will give a positive response,
the problem still remains unsolved.
- Jalilabad- according to the report of Jalilabad
election district no.96, the chairman of the REC has made
serious illegalities. In the report is said that the chairman
of the REC is acting under the order of the local government.
Even there is not held any meetings; the chairman has prepared
false protocols. There is not hung the list of voters at
the election stations regardless of the protests of the
voters.
On October 17, 2000, SOS-938397 Hotline
has received 5 reports.
ILLEGALITIES
- Lachin- Nasib Ismailov, a registered candidate
from Lachin-Kalbajar election district no.71, editor of
the newspaper "Bu Gun", has faced with pressure.
On October 17, 2000, the candidate has faced with strong
pressures of the local authorities in his meeting with the
refugees from Lachin region settled at Takhtakorpu village
of Agjabedi region. Ismailov has reported that nearly 30
of his agitating placards hung around the building of the
Lachin region government and police department has been
torn. In the opinion of the candidate, Mahammad Isgenderov,
head of the department of Lachin regional government, and
Malik Rzaiev, a colleague of the local government, have
ordered to tear the placards. Ismailov has met with the
deputy head of Lachin regional government, but could not
clear the incident. The deputy head of the regional government
has stated that he has not any idea about the incident happened
near the building of the local government.
- Bilasuvar- the hotline has received a report from
Bilasuvar that the voters’ lists have not been hung at the
election station of the region. In addition, there are not
prepared special boards for hanging the agitating materials.
The representatives of the local authorities are interfering
to the electoral process.
- Baku- on October 16, 2000, the CEC has withdrawn
the candidacy of Abutalib Samadov, chairman of the Party
for the Sake of Azerbaijan, from the list of the party.
The reason was registering the candidacy of Samadov from
one-mandate election district. Just on that evening, Samadov
by using of the agitating time for the parties on the state
TV has roughly violated the legislature. Gudrat Hasanguliev,
a secretary of the CEC, has confirmed violating the law
by Samadov, as well. Saying that Samadov has not any right
to speak on the name of the party, Hasanguliev has stated
that with his speech on the state TV Samadov has violated
the principle of creating equal conditions for all candidates.
Hasanguliev said that the CEC would consider the illegality.
- Ganja- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Zaur Humbatov, a candidate from Nizami election district
no.32. Humbatov is a member of the YAP. In his words, his
candidacy has not been registered illegally. Farhad Mammadov,
chairman of the REC, told him that the commission has been
ordered on refusing to register his candidacy. Humbatov
stated that the chairman of the REC has a personal enmity
with him. Humbatov has appealed to the president of the
republic in connection with the happened illegality.
QUESTIONING
- Shamakhi- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Mehbali Abdulrahimov, a candidate from Shamakhi-Agsu
election district no.98. It is notable that Abdulrahimov
is an independent candidate. Being dissatisfied on the decision
of the REC Abdulrahimov has appealed to the CEC. The CEC
has recommended him to appeal to the court for investigating
the issue and giving a legal value. Abdulrahimov is going
to appeal to the Court of Appeal since he does not believe
the district court. In accordance with it, he has contacted
with the SOS-938397 hotline and asked for legal assistance.
Abdulrahimov has been given a corresponding legal instruction.
The Reports:
October 19-21
Introduction
Email this article
Posted October 19, 2000 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org
|
|
The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website,
meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed
debate about the social, political and economic developments
of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the
Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New
York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation
that promotes the development of open societies around
the world by supporting educational, social, and legal
reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex
and controversial issues.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily
represent the position of the Open Society Institute
and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
