In its preliminary conclusions, OSCE stated that the presidential elections was undermined by limitations on fundamental freedoms, lack of level playing field and significant problems on election day.
Dahle  is in Azerbaijan during the elections together with other members and  partners of the Human Rights House Network. 

Many have voiced their concerns

Human Rights House Network and many other NGOs, as well as human rights experts of the UN, Council of Europe, EU and OSCE have during the last months voiced their concerns of the restrictions to the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as well as media freedoms, which are essential for having free and fair elections. 

Should be able to see the broader picture

-We are surprised and regret that the joint election observation mission of the European Union and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe came to the conclusion that the elections were free and fair. Even if the parliamentary election observers are only in Azerbaijan for a few days, they should be able to see the broader picture, taken into account the previous resolutions on the situation in Azerbaijan adopted by the PACE January session 2013 and the European Parliament in June 2013, Maria Dahle says.  

 -Members of PACE and European Parliament need to challenge their representatives taking part in the missions and remind them of the human rights standards and core values Council of Europe and EU stand for. As for many other countries, the OSCE findings are not built on a few days presence in Azerbaijan. OSCE organize a long-term election observation to fully understand a country’s situation and realities faced by citizens willing to participate in the public debate and the electoral process, expressing their opinions, says Maria Dahle. 

“Citizens of Azerbaijan deserve better”

The respect of all rights and freedoms are core to the enjoyment of the right to participate to public life. As said by the Tana de Zulueta, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, “citizens of Azerbaijan deserve better” than this kind of controlled elections.

In Azerbaijan, many NGOs have been critical and alerting about the way authorities were preparing the elections: HRHF shared this concern at the United Nations Human Rights Council saying that “the presidential elections of October 2013 are prepared by ensuring public silence.”

Many NGOs monitored the elections

Instead of silence, many NGOs monitored the elections, including the partner NGO of the Human Rights House Azerbaijan, the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre. The Centre is running an analytical monitoring of elections, with trained election monitors and with clear monitoring methodology. As a result, it published an interim report on election day, 9 October 2013, showing how difficult the pre-electoral phase was. 

Human Rights House Foundation visited several national partner organizations and media agencies during the election day, which have documented the pre- election period.

-The process was indeed difficult, as rights were limited, observers pressured, journalists and youth activists harassed and arrested. We shall also remember that the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre has still not been allowed to register, although it is the single most professional Azerbaijani NGO working on electoral rights and election monitoring, says Maria Dahle. 

From a polling station in Baku on the election day. 

Related articles: