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OSCE reports reflect double standards, CEC Chairman says

22 October 2014 11:53 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramiz Mikayiloghlu – APA. “There is no election observation institute in most of the countries that try to teach democracy to the world. I was in the United Kingdom during the parliamentary elections. I went to the polling station together with the governor, but we were not allowed entering the polling station. Finally they were said that I am Chairman of the Central Election Commission of a country and then we were allowed,” CEC Chairman Mazahir Panahov said during a meeting at the Knowledge Foundation under the Azerbaijani President.

Panahov said that there is no Election Code in the UK.

“They adopted a document in 1860, and then made amendments to 3 articles. However, it does not mean that they do not hold democratic elections, it become a custom there. Everyone is pleased with the results of the elections. Therefore, they do not know what is observing the elections,” he said.

CEC Chairman added that Azerbaijan was among the countries that offered the OSCE to send an observation group to the U.S. during the presidential elections: “Even, the governor of one of the states said that they would have arrest the observers. However, thousands of observers come to Azerbaijan, during the elections. Municipal elections in the country are usually observed by the representatives of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. However, this Congress takes a certain position.”

Panahov noted that international organizations apply double standards.

“The facts of death and arrest were also recorded during the presidential elections in Armenia. 5-10 people committed acts of vandalism in Azerbaijan. However, the OSCE report on the elections in Armenia didn’t reflect these facts, while everything was exaggerated in the report on Azerbaijan.