In her article, One more falsified election in Azerbaijan: Municipal elections , the Azerbaijani human rights activist Shahla Ismayilova describes how the municipality and other elections were falsified in Azerbaijan.
Today, the reality shows that the word “elections” causes sad smile in Azerbaijan society. Our country has great experience of monitoring the fraudulent elections in the past 10 years, the top of which was during the presidential elections. We had the whole pack of horror last year – from roundabout voting up to severe street battles. (20-DEC-2004)
The unprecedented activation of the population with the real belief to change the regime failed, as the millions of hopes. The unwillingness of international community to strong actions, curtained under the diplomatic statements caused, the worst feeling in Azeri society – the feeling of being betrayed.
For this very reason, it would be naïve to think that this year the municipal elections would attract the attention of national forces to participate and struggle. The sad jokes about elections via selections reflect not only the mood but the truth in today’s Azerbaijan.
Boycott – wisest thing
In the current situation it seems absurd to many of us, why the international and diplomatic representatives get surprised at the boycott of the opposition parties. I think it is the wisest thing the opposition has done during last year – saving HUMAN resources, i.e. the nerves of poor opposition adherents to make the meaningless struggle in the polling stations. Why should we struggle for democracy when in the crucial moments of our struggle the whole world shows the absolute deafness and blindness?!
Actually it is a closed question, because it is the OIL, we know the answer. But I want to ask if it costs the lives of millions of people, who are waiting in despair? Sorry, it was a banal question…..
Municipal elections – cheap show
Well, as to municipal elections – we observed another cheap show, the new element of which was OPEN neglect of the monitors.
According to our observations the voters’ attendance was below 20% and so far the Election Code does not contain the “quorum” term, these figures are not misrelated too much – the official announcement of the CEC for the current moment is 45,5% all over the republic.
Nardaran village (the village, known for the most radical populations, where the riot mood was prevailing these years) did not have the elections at all. The official explanation is the small number of candidates (there must be at least 2 candidates per district), but the unofficial sources of ours (we were unaware of that in advance) state that Nardaran people kind of “boycotted” the elections, forwarding the ultimatum not to accept any of the “appointed municipals”. That is why the elections are officially “postponed” in Nardaran. It makes senses to remind that Nardaran was the only village, which last year officially submitted the results from both districts as 97 and 98% FOR the candidate of Opposition Block– Isa Gambar.
Serious shortages in elections
The whole process of voting on Municipal Elections does not deserve the detailed descriptions, but if we are to make a list, it will contain the following (not limited to):
– incorrect voting lists (decreasing the lists on purpose to create the additional list on the election day)
– “roundabout” voting (the “special” groups of people voting for many times, sometimes even in the same polling stations – there were observed the cases of changing the appearance and dress)
– stuffing in ballot papers in favor of the pro-governmental candidates
– open humiliating treatment of the election commission members at PEC-s and DEC-s toward independent observers and observes from opposition to provoke them to strong action
– the independent observers, pointing out to the violations happened to be forced out of the polling station (not so frequent)
There haven’t been recorded the arrests or work dismissals yet, but Ali Ahmadov (the executive secretary of the ruling YAP party) made a warning on TV that all the members of PEC-s and DEC-s, who hadn’t signed the protocols would have the problems with job.
US Ambassador witnesses falsification
Another incident drawing attention is the statement of the US Ambassador Reno Harnish, who is one of 128 international observers. He told the journalists that together with American observers he had observed a number of brutal violations (including stuffing in the ballot boxes with ballot papers) and would bring the facts to the attention of CEC.
The NGO´s and opposition parties also have recorded plenty of violations all over the republic and now circulate this information to keep the broader community informed, but without the illusions to have been heard.
However, the chairman of the Central Election Commission Mazahir Panahov stated that there hadn’t been recorded “any serious law violations in any of the districts”. He promised that the election results would be announced within 20 days after elections.
