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HOT LINE REPORT N3
October 16-21, 2000
Electoral Violations Reported to the Azerbaijan Electoral
Rights Protection Hotline
On October 19, 2000, SOS-938397 Hotline
has received 3 reports.
ILLEGALITIES
- Baku- according to the report of the ADP’s election
headquarter, there are not allowed to the party to hold
a pre-election campaign. The report says that the police
have made a number of illegal acts during the distribution
of the posters of election slogans and single candidates
lists of the party in some provinces of the republic and
Baku city. The police have begun taking, illegally, the
election posters and placards in all the districts of Baku.
Police has explained its act with the order given above.
In general, there has not been allowed to distribute the
placards of the ADP in Ganja City. As, the leadership of
Ganja police department has claimed to ask permission from
the city’s mayor for distributing the election campaigns
materials. Although, according to the law "On the elections
to Milli Mejlis", preventing the distribution of the
materials of the pre-election campaign, as well as interference
of the law-enforcement agencies to the political processes
are inadmissible. Sardar Jalaloglu, secretary general of
the party, has appealed to the minister of internal affairs
in connection with stopping the illegalities against the
distribution of the election materials of the ADP and punishing
the officials that ordered these illegal acts.
- Baku- ADP has given a report to the hotline. There
is information about the candidates of the ADP on the one-mandate
election districts. In the report is said that ADP intended
to nominate 53 candidates from the one-mandate election
districts. The REC has, illegally, refused to receive the
applications of the ADP’s candidates in 5 election districts.
And 22 candidates have withdrawn their candidature as a
protest of anti-democratic items at the election legislation
and illegalities at the electoral process. 19 candidates
nominated by the ADP have not been registered at the district
commissions by declaring their signatures invalid. Those
being refused to register by the REC have appealed to the
CEC with a letter of complaint. The RECs have registered
4 candidates of the ADP.
- Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Eldar Salaiev, academician, a member of the ADP, and
a candidate from Nizami-Khatai election district no.13.
The REC has declared his signatures invalid under "another
reasons" against the election legislation. Since Salaiev
has complied to the CEC on the decision of the REC. And
12 days later, the CEC has recommended him to appeal to
the court without having hold any investigation.
On October 20, 2000, SOS-938397 Hotline
has received 5 reports.
ARRESTS
- Baku- on October 19, 2000, the colleagues of the
16th police station of Narimanov district have
detained Idris Muradov, a member of the regional branch
of the ADP, while hanging the campaign photos of Rasul Guliev,
co-chairman of the ADP. He has been kept at the police station
for two hours and then taken to the 17th station.
There Muradov has been told that hanging the photos of Rasul
Guliev is illegal. Police has prepared a report on the acts
of Muradov and charged him in hanging illegal photos in
the streets. He has been released at night after having
taken his ID by the police. On October 20, 2000, the colleagues
of the 17th police station have hold a search
in the home of Muradov and taken the copies of the agitating
materials of the ADP on the elections.
ILLEGALITIES
- Lankaran- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Hajibaba Azimov, chairman of the Whole Azerbaijan National
Unity Party, and a candidate from Lankaran election district
no.35. Azimov has stated that the REC has issued a decision
illegally without the majority of votes. Azimov has also
appealed to the CEC on these illegalities. In his words,
Inqilab Nasirov, a member of the CEC, has deceived the members
of the commission and hidden the decision of the REC. The
CEC has kept the illegal decision of the REC in force. While
Azimov has appealed to the CEC second time on the illegalities,
his question has not been considered, yet. The candidate
has appealed to the Court of Appeal on the CEC. The court
has revealed that the decision of the REC was illegal and
sent a letter to the REC for re-considering the issue. Azimov
has stated that the Court of Appeal has violated the legislation.
Because the court must not send a letter to the REC, but
issue a sentence. On the other hand, the Court of Appeal
had to consider not the decision of the REC, but of the
CEC.
- Agdam- Ali Mammadov, an elector from Agdam election
district no.47, has contacted with the hotline and reported
that Asif Huseinov, a candidate from that election district,
has violated the law. Huseinov is a member of the YAP. In
the words of Mammadov, Huseinov went to the refugee camp
in Barda district, gave sports goods to the refugees for
the purpose of voting for him, and promised them other goods,
as well. It is notable that according to the Article 57-2
of the law "On the election to Milli Mejlis",
it is prohibited to give any valuable things to the voters.
- Shamkir- Mubariz Qurbanli, a candidate from Shamkir
election district no.100, member of the YAP’s political
council, has violated the Articles 45-2, 45-3, and 38-2-6
of the election law. It is now 4 weeks since the beginning
of the candidates’ pre-election campaign that Qurbanli is
conducting the ‘Hafta" [week] program on the state
TV of Azerbaijan. Ilqar Mammadov, a candidate from the same
election district, has touched on that fact in his letter
addressed to the chairman of the CEC Mazahir Panahov. Ilqar
Mammadov is a lawyer on specialty and an independent candidate.
He has stated that according to the law, the CEC has to
liquidate the candidacy of Qurbanli. Because he has not
stopped his activity in the media during the electoral process
and covers the course of the elections on TV. And by this,
Qurbanli has used of his position for the purpose of gaining
advantage and violated the principle of "equality of
candidates". Mammadov has stated that Qurbanli by giving
the interview with Nuraddin Ahadov, chairman of the REC
no.100, on TV has, in fact, influenced on the chairman of
the REC. Perhaps the question will be discussed at the CEC.
- Goranboy- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Arif Mammadov, a candidate from Goranboy-Naftalan election
district no.74. Mammadov is an independent candidate and
author of 18 books about the history of Goranboy region.
The REC has hold checking without informing the candidate
and his authoritative delegate. At the 1st checking
143 of his signatures and at the 2nd 24 have
been declared invalid. In the words of Mammadov, after the
involvement of the law-enforcement agencies he could take
the protocol of the REC. While the persons, whose signatures
have been declared invalid, have confirmed their signatures,
the REC has been indifferent to it. Mammadov has made a
complaint to the district court on the decision of the REC.
Mammadov has stated that the witnesses that came to the
court for confirming their signatures have not been permitted
to enter inside the building. The court has kept the decision
of the REC in force.
On October 21, 2000, SOS-938397 Hotline
has received 6 reports.
ILLEGALITIES
- Sumgait- Shakir Mammadov, a dweller of Sumgait
City, has contacted with the hotline and reported that since
the beginning of the pre-election campaign the water supply
of the micro-district, where he lives, has been stopped.
In the words of Mammadov, the substantial candidates that
hold election campaign in these districts have given a lot
of promises to the voters for voting them. Even, for convincing
the voters they gave money to the water-supply department
of the city and stopped the water supply of one district,
and then supply the districts that they gave promises with
water. As a result, the dwellers of other districts have
not any water supply.
- Baku- the REC has refused to register the candidacy
of Rauf Tagiev, a candidate from Absheron election district
no.46, a member of the National Independence Party, and
chief of the Migration Department of the Ministry of Social
Security of Population. In Tagiev’s words, regardless of
violating the 2/3rd principle at the meetings
of the REC, the chairman of the REC has refused to register
his candidacy. Tagiev stated that the chairman of the commission
has changed 4 of his signature lists and the members of
the REC have not been informed about this fact. Tagiev has
appealed to the CEC. The CEC has recommended him to appeal
to the court. Tagiev has appealed to the prosecutor of Absheron
district claiming that the chairman of the REC has violated
the Article 313 (falsification of its post) of the Criminal
Code.
- Shamkir- Ramiz Ahmadov, chairman of the Communist
Party of Azerbaijan [CPA], has not been allowed to meet
with his electors in Shamkir region. Ahmadov has stated
that the local government does not allow the party to hold
pre-election campaign in the region, and he has faced with
such situation in Khanlar region, as well. And in Sabirabad
region, the head of the local government has not allowed
the delegates of the party to conduct meetings in the villages.
- Baku- in the words of Telman Nusratoglu, advisor
chairman of the Musavat Party on youth, Isa Gamber has received
refusal letters addressed to separating corresponding places
on Baku to the party for his meeting with the youth. In
Nusratoglu’s words, the persons heading these objects have
stated that this issue is out of their authority. And openly
stated that they have to get permission from above.
- Tovuz- the local branch of the Party Musavat has
been moved away from its headquarter. According to the report
of the party, the local branch was paying the rent costs
of the office in advance. 10 days till the end of the month,
the owner of the office asked them to free the house. According
to the report, the local officials are trying to make obstacles
to them everywhere and have pressured on the dwellers of
the region not to give a place to the party. The local branch
of the party Musavat has issued a statement of protest in
connection with increasing of pressures on them.
QUESTIONING
- Baku- an elector Ali Ibrahimov has contacted with
the hotline and reported that he is ill and could not go
to the votes. That is why, he asked for a legal assistance
and has been given corresponding advice.
The Reports:
October 16-17
Introduction
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Posted October 19, 2000 © Eurasianet
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