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President a.i. of Council of Europe Congress: â€œIt is high time for Azerbaijan to elect the mayor of the capitalâ€

10 September 2009 16:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. â€œIt is high time for Azerbaijan to elect the mayor of the capital like other countries of the South Caucasus,â€ Ian Micallef, President a.i. of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities said on the eve of his visit to Baku, Information Office of the Council of Europe told APA.

â€œI reiterate the Congressâ€™ calls to Azerbaijani government to elect, not appoint Baku mayor. This will serve the strengthening of democracy in the country. The first elections for the post of Yerevan mayor in May this year, Georgian Presidentâ€™s initiative to hold direct elections for the post of Tbilisi mayor gave a democratic impetus in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan should follow these positive examples during the local elections in December. Election of Baku mayor will also be in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government ratified by Azerbaijan in 2002,â€ he said.