Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) has adopted the draft resolution on Amnesty on the occasion of Novruz Holiday with 111 votes and one against, APA reports.

The draft law was submitted to the Parliament by Chairman of the Standing Commission on Legal Policy and State-Building Ali Huseynov. Then initiator of the draft resolution MP Mehriban Aliyeva delivered a speech.

According to the Act of Amnesty, women sentenced for the crimes not creating public threats, those who were under 18 while committing the crimes, disable people of I and II groups, men reaching age of 60, people maintained children or parents of disable children will be released from the prison.

On the recommendations of OSCE ODIHR and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, and last additions and amendments to the Election Code in Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic

Baku - 2008

The abbreviations used within the text:

OSCE ODIHR – OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
JWG IIHRSA – Joint Working Group on Implementation of International Standards of Human Rights in Azerbaijan
AR EC – Azerbaijan Republic Election Code
CEC – Central Election Commission
CoEC – Constituency Election Commission
PEC - Precinct Election Commission

Table of contents:

1. Preamble
2. The recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
3. Commentary on additions and amendments to the Election Code of the Azerbaijan Republic
4. The result

“The amendment to the Constitution must be done with the agreement of Azerbaijani people”, The U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ann Derse told to media.

According to Ms. Ambassador stated that people should define themselves what decision they need to make. In order to make right decisions people must be aware of the current processes going on in the country.

That is why they need to be given a chance to see all discussion in society.

Afterwards Ann Derse stated that as a democratic country the U.S.A. supported Azerbaijan independence and development.

Belgium MP Paul Willy will head Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe observation mission to observe referendum on the amendments and annexes to the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, head of the parliamentary delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov told APA.

According to Samad Seyidov 9-member mission will arrive in Baku on March 15.

52-member observation mission of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will monitor the referendum on amendments and annexes to the Constitution on March 18, deputy head of the mission, chief of the CIS Executive Committee’s department for technical-organizational provision of observation missions in CIS countries, head of the mission’s office Yevgeni Sloboda told APA.

The mission includes representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Sloboda mentioned that the office opened on March 6 and said they had meetings in the Central Election Commission, Parliament, Cabinet of Ministers and Interior Ministry.

Today they will hold meeting in the Constitutional Court and tomorrow in the Supreme Court.

According to the project 1700 prisoners are going to be released.

According to the draft project on “Amnesty Act” presented on March 10 by MP, first lady of Azerbaijan and the president of Haydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva 9000 are considered to be on the list of amnesty.

“1700 prisoners are going to be released due to the project” the permanent member of Human Rights Commission of Milli Majlis Arzu Samadbayli informed Trend News on Thursday.

2149 observers were registered in Central Election Commission to observe referendum to be held on March 18 on amendments and changes to the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

These observers represent 23 NGOs, 5 agitation teams on referendum and 1 political party, Lent.az informed. 877 observers are volunteers. 3 people are observers with special permissions.

It should be noted that all the observers registered in CEC are allowed to observe the elections in all regions of the country on the Election Day.

34 polling stations have been established abroad connected with the referendum to be held on March 18 in Azerbaijan, secretary of Central Election Commission (CEC) Natig Mammadov informed APA.

According to his words those polling stations were established in diplomatic representations of Azerbaijan in foreign countries. The lists of the voters who are going to vote at the polling stations established abroad have already been defined and the bulletins have been distributed.

N. Mamedov stated that 34 polling stations established abroad depended on 4 District Election Commissions - 15 Yasamal I, 16 Yasamal II, 17 Yasamal III and 29 Sabail.

Initial report about voters’ activeness to be made five times on referendum day in Azerbaijan.
The referendum on constitutional amendments and changes will be held from 8.00 till 19.00on March 18. Central Election Commission (CEC) press service told APA that information about the process of voting, voters’ participation in the voting will be given five times – at 10.00, 12.00, 15.00, 17.00 and 19.00. The reports will only cover the numbers of voters.

Initial results of the voting will be publicized, as soon as CEC receives the reports from the polling stations. The reports will be announced in mass media and posted on CEC’s official websites www.msk.gov.az, www.cec.gov.az and www.infocenter.gov.az.

In the document the international law obligations of occupier Armenia are questioned.

The Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission to UN submitted two more documents to the UN Security Council and General Resolutely expressing its position on the conflict in a number of resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly, the UN has, on Azerbaijan’s initiative, included the question on situation in the occupied areas in the agenda of the last sessions of the General Assembly in a separate clauses.

In March 14, 2008, the UN GA adopted a resolution “On the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”. According to the document, the General Assembly requested to submit a constant report on this issue.

CEC has already printed and distributed the bulletins to districts. Central Election Commission has conducted its next meeting today.

The meeting started with the confirmation of the protocols of the meetings held in January.

Afterwards the issue on installation of cameras in the point election commissions was discussed within the referendum held on March 18th.

The secretary of CEC Natig Mammadov proposed to install cameras in 500 polling stations in order to observe live voting process. This proposal was accepted by all commission members.