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Azerbaijani parliament adopts the draft law on amendments and annexes to the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan

18 June 2010 15:40 (UTC +04:00)

Head of Socio-Political Department of the President’s Office Ali Hasanov presented the draft law on amendments and annexes.

Hasanov noted that on the whole, two main amendments were proposed to the Electoral Code â€“ reduction of election period from 75 to 60 days and withdrawal of point about the allocation of the government resources to the candidates from the Code.

The amendment proposed to article 8.1 of the Code causes automatically other changes. Reducing of election period from 75 to 60 days makes it necessary to reduce campaign period from 28 to 23 days. â€œIf the electoral districts are established before the elections (referendum), the scheme of establishing of electoral districts and its graphic description should be approved 55 days before the election (referendum) day and published at least 50 days before the election (referendum) day. This period is shown in the existing version of the document respectively 70 and 65 days. If the district election commissions are established before the elections, they should be organized at least 50 days (60 days in the existing version) before the voting day. Information about the voters in the military bases, isolators and penitentiaries should be introduced at least 20 days (25 days in existing version) before by the election commissions. The relevant election commission should pass decision about the registration of the candidates 7 days (10 days in existing version) after receiving of signatures and other documents required for the registration. The competent representatives of the candidates should submit the necessary documents to the election commissions at least 30 days and maximum 50 days (40 and 65 days respectively) before the election (referendum) day until 18.00. The competent representatives of the candidates should submit the documents for registration of referendum campaign group at least 35 days (45 days in existing version) before the voting day until 18.00. The campaign groups are proposed to be registered within 7 days, but not 10 days. Lists of the candidates drawn according to the electoral districts are published in the relevant periodical editions at least 20 days (25 days in existing version) before the voting dayâ€.

MP Ali Ahmadov said that this amendment served the improvement of elections, increasing its productivity, correspondence with international standards. Ahmadov also added that there was no need for long cogitation to make right decision.

Deputy Panah Huseyn noted that Musavat Deputy Group was against it: â€œThese amendments confine the rights of votersâ€.

Giving an example the Denmark practice, vice-speaker Bahar Muradova said to deputies who were against the amendments that election period in this country was 2 weeks and nobody thought that this period was little. Muradova considered groundless also the opposition deputiesâ€™ opinions on amendments.

The draft law was adopted by the majority of votes.