AZERBAIJAN: OSCE monitors say Azerbaijan's presidential elections mark progress, but did not reflect all the principles of a meaningful election

Record ID: 218044

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: OSCE monitors say Azerbaijan's presidential elections mark progress, but did not reflect all the principles of a meaningful election
  • Date: 17th October 2008
  • Summary: (W3) BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (OCTOBER 16, 2008) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF OBSERVATION MISSION FOR OCSE OFFICE FOR DEMOCRATIC INSITUTIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE / SITTING DOWN OSCE - EMBLEM SOUNDBITE (English) AMBASSADOR FOR OCSE OFFICE FOR DEMOCRATIC INSITUTIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, BORIS FRLEC, SAYING: "Our overall conclusion is that yesterday's presidential elections
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9FPG5UXPQF0FNF36FH58HDK6T
  • Story Text: Azerbaijan's presidential election, won in a landslide by incumbent Ilham Aliyev, marked "considerable progress" but still fell short of all international commitments, European monitors said on Thursday (October 16).
    The election was boycotted by the main opposition leaders, who condemned the vote as a charade to extend the Aliyev family's hold on the oil-producing state for another five years.
    Authorities in Azerbaijan -- a former Soviet state where Russia and the West are vying for influence over vital energy reserves -- said Aliyev won 89 percent, and put turnout at 77 percent.
    Monitors led by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said authorities had tried to create more equitable conditions for candidates and voting was efficient.

    "Our overall conclusion is that yesterday's presidential elections marked considerable progress but did not meet all commitments," the Ambassador for the OSCE Office for Democratic Insitutions and Human Rights, Boris Frlec, told reporters at a news conference.

    "The election process was carried out in a peaceful manner but it was characterised by the lack of robust competition and of vibrant political discourse facilitated by media," he continued.

    "The process therefore did not reflect all the principles of a meaningful and pluralistic democratic election."
    The report is certain to disappoint opposition leaders, who held a joint news conference earlier on Thursday and accused the authorities of inventing turnout figures and insulting the Azeri people.
    Opposition politicians have previously accused Western governments of toning down their criticism of Azeri democracy for fear of losing a strategic ally and access to its oil reserves in the Caspian Sea -- also courted by Russia.
    The country of 8.3 million people, mainly Shi'ite Muslims, lies at a strategic crossroads between East and West, sandwiched between Russia and Iran.
    Victory for Aliyev -- son of long-serving leader Heydar Aliyev -- was never in doubt, giving him a second term.
    The opposition alleged curbs on democracy and media freedom made participation pointless.
    The government points to an economic boom that appears to have trickled some way down to the rural poor, making Aliyev genuinely popular, it says.
    Rights groups say a personality cult built around Heydar Aliyev and that persists five years since his death has made dissent dangerous.
    The war in August between Azerbaijan neighbours Georgia and Russia has deepened concern among Western governments over energy transit routes running from Central Asia to Europe through the Caucasus. Analysts say the West will be reluctant to come down too hard on Aliyev and push him towards Russia.
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