AZERBAIJAN: Azeri elections officials order recounts as President Aliyev promises cooperation with international poll observers

Record ID: 218429

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Azeri elections officials order recounts as President Aliyev promises cooperation with international poll observers
  • Date: 8th November 2005
  • Summary: WIDE SHOT STREET SCENE
  • Embargoed: 23rd November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAF06K4UWGLN8C5I357G9ORRWBQ
  • Story Text: Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev took steps on Tuesday (November 8, 2005) to patch up his international standing damaged by a parliamentary election Western observers said was sullied by vote fraud.
    The opposition was planning protests from Wednesday (November 9) against a vote that handed a huge majority in parliament to Aliyev's supporters, though analysts said the demonstrations would be short-lived with no prospect of a Ukraine-style revolution.
    Election officials, bowing to Monday's criticism by Western monitors, said they had ordered re-runs in two disputed constituencies where Aliyev loyalists beat opposition candidates. They said they were looking at serious reports of fraud in several others.
    "In two districts the ballot results have been cancelled; these are the 9th and 42nd districts. In one district we have cancelled the results from several polling stations, and as a result another candidate is leading there," Central Election Commission Chairman Mazahir Panahov told a news briefing. Azerbaijan's parliament has 125 seats.
    Panahov said following the recounts opposition leader Ali Kerimli was leading in his parliamentary district.
    "Today Ali Kerimli is leading already, Ali Kerimli of the opposition National Front Party," said Panahov. Kerimli is one of three opposition leaders from the Azadlyq bloc.
    Speaking on Azeri national television on Monday night, Aliyev promised cooperation with international bodies whose observers had crticised the conduct of the elections.
    "As you know already, international observers have presented their priliminary assessment (of the ballot). We will take into account their opinion. We have been cooperating with these international organistaions for many years and their views are very important for us. Before these elections, we had been working for several months with the European Council, OSCE and human rights organisations; we were working with them closely and for the befit of our country. Our hope is that this cooperation will continue in the future," said President Ilham Aliyev.
    But the election showed that while Aliyev wants the West's approval, he has not stamped his authority on an old guard inside his administration that still favours cronyism and vote-rigging to preserve its power, said analysts.
    The opposition protests will be a further test for Azerbaijan's leadership. If some opposition protesters ignore their leaders' appeals for peaceful rallies and clash with police, the ugly scenes could further embarrass Aliyev.
    Election officials were still calculating the final result. It was expected that once the disputed counts are reviewed, opposition candidates may gain a handful of seats.
    As the result stood late on Monday, the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party had 63 seats in the chamber while the main Azadlyq opposition bloc had only a handful of seats.
    The rest went to independents and minor parties, most of which are loyal to the government.
    Aliyev, who succeeded his father Haydar as president, heads an ex-Soviet country of 8 million people. Wedged between Russia and Iran, it has endemic corruption and is run by a network of clans around Aliyev who control most of the wealth.
    Western policymakers say Aliyev is a long way from being a reformer in the mould of his counterparts in ex-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia. But they hoped the election would at least show a small step towards reform.
    U.S. and European Union officials on Monday expressed disappointment with Sunday's vote.
    Their criticism followed a report by observers with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe that said 43 percent of the vote counts they observed were "bad or very bad."
    Aliyev has said that despite some problems, overall the vote was fair, pointing to a U.S. government-funded exit poll that broadly mirrored the official figures.
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