Domestic

Domestic

Anne Derse: â€œThe US is ready to offer all-round assistance for the development of democratic institutions and values in Azerbaijan

01 May 2008 11:24 (UTC +04:00)

She underlined that free election was very important democratic institution.
â€œFree elections do not only mean to hold voting and count votes. It also means to offer opportunities to everybody to have access to information and choice. Elections have also been held in Armenia and Georgia this year. The US condemned violence and non-democratic processes during the elections in these countries. We expressed our concern and demanded these countries to return to democratic standards. We do not have double standards concerning democratic processesâ€, the ambassador said.
Anne Derse said that the US intended to cooperate both with the Government and civil society institutions for holding democratic elections.
â€œThe US coordinates its work in this direction with the Council of Europe, OSCE and European Union. Azerbaijani Government has declared its intention to hold free and democratic elections. This is the right step taken by the Government towards Euro-Atlantic integration and meets Azerbaijanâ€™s national interests. Those, who do their best for democratic elections in the country, serve the national interests of Azerbaijanâ€, she said.
Anne Derse said Azerbaijan would have a chance in October once more to prove its commitment to the international norms and standards.
â€œThe whole world will observe the situation in Azerbaijan in Octoberâ€, she said.
The ambassador said the existence of free media was one of the main indicators of free elections. Anne Derse said there still were some problems in Azerbaijani media and underlined the importance of solving them. The ambassador also said they shared the opinion of the Council of Europe Venice Commission in connection with amendments to Azerbaijanâ€™s Electoral Code and law on freedom of assembly.