On the eve of October 15, 2008 presidential elections, Joint Working Group on Implementation of International Standards of Human Rights in Azerbaijan has prepared the proposals and opinions on the additions and amendments to the Election Code, has monitored the right of freedom of assembly in the period of election campaign, Mass Media (including 10 leading newspapers, 7 central TV channels and 3 Internet news sites) beginning from August 1, 2008 and has conducted observation of the voting process in 87 polling stations set up in Baku, Sumgait, Ganja, Gokchay, Guba, Jalilabad, Shamkir, Yevlakh and Khurdalan. According to the researches and observations of Joint Working Group on Implementation of International Standards of Human Rights in Azerbaijan came to the following conclusions:
1. The additions and amendments to the Election Code served for ensuring the voting right, for the quick and operative investigation of the complaints in connection with the election process and in general for more efficient activities of democratic institutions. The additions and amendments made to the Election Code are in line with the opinions and proposals of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. We consider that the additions and amendments made to the Election Code have increased the opportunity to conduct free, fair, democratic and transparent elections.
2. Seven presidential candidates were registered. Six of them are the leaders of the various parties and one of them is independent. The election campaign held in stability in the country. But we regret about the decision of the leaders of several political parties on the refusal of participating in the presidential elections. So, this decision has limited the rights of those party members’ and it makes a contradiction with the main aim of political parties to participate in the social and political processes going on in the country. We also believe that this kind of decision hasn’t influenced remarkably the election campaign environment, the activity of voters and the overall results of the elections.
3. In the period of election campaign the monitored Mass Media enlightened the candidates’ election campaign impartially. During his election campaign, one of the candidates used some unacceptable rhetoric towards the state representatives and some people representing opposition camp. That speech was noted by Central Election Commission and the candidate was seriously caviled at.
4. The election campaigns of the candidates were mostly held in conferences and meeting halls in the format of meetings. Two of the candidates preferred to use information technologies (e-mail etc.) during their campaigns. The interference of local executive powers, law enforcement bodies and other authorities was not observed. The candidates didn’t come across to any artificially created serious preventions and obstacles done by state authorities and there weren’t any complaints.
5. On the Election Day no pressure was observed by the members of Election Commission to the voters in the observed 87 polling stations in Baku, Sumgait, Ganja, Gokchay, Guba and Jalilabad, Shamkir, Yevlakh and Khurdalan. Violations local executive powers and law enforcement bodies out of their duties and responsibilities were not observed. On the Election Day the voters used their voting right and took active part in the elections. Good environment was created for the voters to show their will freely, secretly and personally without any influence of any other person. The voting process, counting of bulletins by the members of precinct election commissions and counting of votes were realized under the norms defined by the legislation.
Taking into consideration the mentioned information Joint Working Group on Implementation of International Standards of Human Rights in Azerbaijan states that the presidential elections conducted on October 15, 2008 have been held in free, fair, democratic and transparent condition in line with the international standards. We think that as a step taken forward democratic and legal state building and development of civil society the presidential elections conducted on October 15, 2008 is a remarkable achievement of the Republic of Azerbaijan in widening of the democratic values. We hope that Azerbaijan society and government will increase the efforts for development of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan using this opportunity.
This statement was accepted at the meeting of Joint Working Group on Implementation of International Standards of Human Rights in Azerbaijan carried out on October 16, 2008

SIGNED by:

International
members of JWG Local NGO’s representatives members of JWG

Emiel GORIS
(Belgium)
Kamil SALIMOV

Jean Yves CHEVALIE
(France)
Alimamed NURIYEV

John McGREGOR
(USA)
Adil MINBASHI

Olivier VEDRINE
(France)
Shahin JAMALOV


Mark VIETH
(USA)
Arzukhan ALIZADE


Jacob KUITWAARD
(USA)
Hugug SALMANOV


Jean-Paul MOERMAN
(Belgium)
Muslim MAMEDOV


Gunel ALIYEVA