Term of election campaign reduced in Azerbaijan

Deputies were presented annexes to alterations to the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan.

Thus, the draft amendments to the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan excludes paragraph according to which a candidate to president could pay monetary deposits instead of signatures. The term of election campaign has been reduced from 120 to 75 days. The number of voters' signatures, needed for registration of candidates for presidents, has been lowered by 5,000 signatures. Not the required number of signatures is 40,000.

Deputy Qudrat Hasanquliyev, speaking at the session noted that he put forward the proposal to reduce the term of the election campaign several years ago but unfortunately it was not approved.

He noted that four months of the election campaign are too much for Azerbaijan and resentment of the opposition regarding terms is mostly connected with opportunity to get free airtime.

"The law "On political parties" says that their activity should be highlighted by the state television. Yet, except for the ruling party, no party is able to use the state TV channel. Therefore, opposition parties try to use air time during the election campaign and the longer it is the more they will have chances to be transmitted on TV", said he.

Hasanquliyev voiced resentment over prohibition of election campaign on the State TV channel and political advertising will be regulated by the law "On Advertising" on private TV channels.

"It means that on the whole the advertisement should make maximum 15% of the hour. Thus, before the registration of candidates, big companies will be able to purchase all the time. If this occurs, how will candidates to president hold their propaganda", said he.

Deputy executive secretary of Yeni Azerbaijan party Mubariz Qurbanly voiced regret that amendments to the Electoral Code are introduced not in line with requirements of international organization but by Azerbaijan's intention to improve the electoral legislation.

"Unfortunately, some opposition deputies instead of expressing their opinion of amendments, touch upon the conceptual grounds of the Electoral Code", said he.

At the same time, the deputy noted that representatives of the authorities, opposition members and non-party members are represented in the electoral constituents. He said if the ruling party wanted to create obstacles for opposition during the elections, the members of the Yeni Azerbaijan Party would not have signed protocols at the election points, where candidates from opposition won.

"Despite representatives of the Yeni Azerbaijan Party, opposition representatives refuse to sign final protocols if a candidate from authorities has won at this station. During the 2005 parliamentary elections, opposition representatives refused to sign the final protocols", said he.

Qurbanly noted that the system of elections observation in Azerbaijan is transparent. He noted that each candidate can appoint his representative with a consultative right to vote. Moreover, he may appoint his observer. He said the electoral stations are open for representatives of mass media and international organizations.

First vice speaker of Milli Medjlis Ziyafet Askerov criticized opposition related to their position on the balanced formation of the electoral commissions.

"In 2000 the Electoral Commission was formed on the parity basis. Opposition representatives decided to paralyze the activity of the commission and started to boycott its sessions. Appeal of the OSCE representatives also did not work. In the result, the old format was retrieved", said.

He listed another example which occurred in 2003. He recalled that due to the disease Heydar Aliyev appealed to the Central Electoral Commission with a request to annul his candidacy for president, yet without any grounds, the opposition did not agree to it.

"With such samples, authorities can not trust opposition and this is an additional argument in favor of those who speak against the balanced formation of electoral commissions", said he.

The amendments to the Electoral Code were adopted with 100 voting for, 3 against and 1 abstained from voting.

/Day.Az/