INFORMATION SESSION ON NON-INTERFERENCE IN ELECTORAL PROCESS HELD IN BAKU

Baku, March 4 (AzerTAc). The OSCE Office in Baku, the Presidential Administration,
and the Central Election Commission (CEC) held the second information session
focusing on non-interference in the electoral process.

Chief of the President Administration`s socio-political department Ali Hasanov noted
the event aims at improving the work of the executive authorities, precinct and
constituency election commission. The heads of regional executive authorities and
the chairmen of constituency election commissions were briefed about the Electoral
Code's provisions for non-interference, and given practical examples of what is
considered interference in the context of OSCE commitments for democratic elections.
Central and local authorities, election bodies should not exceed their authority,
effectively use their administrative resources, create equal conditions for
campaigning groups and prevent illegal interference in the voting process. The
government took all steps for this. According to Hasanov, both those changes and
election-related orders signed by President Ilham Aliyev set up a legal framework
for fair and transparent conduct of elections and referendum.
Our goal is to stress the basic principles of free and fair elections, and to
underline the need to avoid any interference in the process," said Alexis
Chahtahtinsky, the Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Baku.
Mazahir Panahov, the Head of the CEC, also emphasized the significance of
non-interference in the electoral process and briefed the participants about the
actions that the CEC has taken in order to guarantee the constitutional rights of
citizens.
Panahov said all precinct election commissions were equipped with all necessary
equipment.
The heads of local authorities, chairmen of election commissions were informed about
the amendments and supplements to the Election Code, laws concerning
non-interference in voting process and international election standards.
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