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Congress of Local and Regional Authorities mission gives a press conference on local election in Azerbaijan

07 October 2006 13:41 (UTC +04:00)

The mission stated that a number of irregularities were observed in the polls.
Mrs. Ludmila Sfirloaga said the 9-member delegation observed local elections at the invitation of the Government of Azerbaijan.
They said that significant progress was observed in the conduct of voting despite several serious irregularities.
Disagreement between the number registered in the list of voters and the number of ballots in the polling box, voting instead of family, repeated signatures, happenings in the polling booths are serious irregularities.
The statement of the delegation also says that the real power of the local authorities have to be in accordance with the 2002 Europe Charter on the Local Authorities. The Mission is concerned over the undesired level of the democracy in Azerbaijan. The statement calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to work together with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in solving the problems. Ludmila Sfirloaga didnâ€™t take a stance on the level of the election but the other members said the local elections were held unsatisfactory in 20% of the polling stations, satisfactory in 20% and normal in 60% of the polling stations.
Ludmila Sfirloaga said that some serious irregularities were committed in the polling stations in Zira Buzovna, Pirallahi, Uzunboya, Charkhi.
The delegation stated that a report will be prepared on the results and will be submitted to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and new recommendations will be given to the Government of Azerbaijan.
The delegation includes Mrs. Ludmila Sfirloaga, Ms Brith FÃ¤ldt, Mihkel Juhkami, Mr David Lloyd-Williams, Mrs VÃ©ronique Moreira, Mr Paolo Rondelli, Ms Antonella Cagnolati, Ms Caroline Martin, and Ms GÃ¶nÃ¼l Kocak. /APA/