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International organizations to hold closed meeting with some media outlets and NGOs a day before elections

04 October 2013 16:45 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that the meeting to be held a day before the elections – on October 8 aims at obtaining accurate general view about the October 9 presidential elections.

The letter of invitation sent by the mission head Tana de Zulueta at the invitation of ODIHR says that the meeting will be held behind closed doors and is expected to be attended by representatives of “Yeni Nesil” (New Generation) Union of Journalists, Azadlig newspaper, Yeni Musavat newspaper, Media Rights Institute, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Zerkalo newspaper, Yeni Azerbaijan newspaper, the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.

It is a pity that pro-opposition media and organizations are mainly invited to the event, ODIHR, which expresses intention to get objective information about the elections, has not invited representatives of independent media outlets.

Editor-in-chief of the 525-ci gezet Rashad Majid told APA that the international organizations usually invite pro-opposition media representatives: “This is a planned step serving well-considered results. Azerbaijan has a wide-range and recently developed media outlets which can have an impact on the processes in the country and form their views. OSCE should attach great importance to this media rather than pro-opposition, or pro-government media outlets. Therefore, I think that OSCE and other international organizations should correct their activities in this issue.”

President of APA Holding Vusala Mahirgizi said the media holding is known not only in the country, but also abroad. She mentioned that the holding led by her is the requester and partner of one of the two exit-polls to be held by foreign companies in the presidential elections.

"Both the central office and local office of OSCE are among the organizations, which we are cooperating with. I consider that invitation of APA Holding to the event on the assessment of elections is necessary for OSCE more than for us... We do not care about participation in the event of an international organization, embassy. Therefore, the participation of APA Holding's representative in the OSCE's event would make that meeting more serious, enrich the information. I have looked through the list, the law prohibits media outlet founded by foreign entity to participate in the election process in Azerbaijan. How can the representative of the organization, which is banned from participating in the process by the law, speak about the monitoring of the process?"

Vusala Mahirgizi added that OSCE representatives should have concerned themselves how media outlets gather information during the election campaign.

"Of course, I am speaking about the case that requires professional approach. But in this country anyone can meet with his acquaintances and have a cofee. This right should be respected," she said.

OSCE/ODIHR Parliamentary Liaison Saša Pokrajac told APA that the meeting was a briefing of the parliamentarians from the parliamentary assemblies of OSCE, Council of Europe and European Parliament.

"The program of the meeting has been made basing on survey. The program has been presented by these parliamentary assemblies and they have chosen the media outlet they want to hold meeting with. So, this is the choice of the parliamentarians from various countries," he said.