Foreign

Home page

Foreign

Venice Commission expert: Late in March weâ€™ll prepare our program related to parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan

25 January 2010 21:24 (UTC +04:00)

Strasbourg. Fuad Gulubeyli â€“ APA. â€œIn the second week of March or early in April the Venice Commissionâ€™s preliminary program concerning the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, which are planned to be held in the fall of 2010, will be ready. Realization of these projects depends on the dialog that we are going to have with Bakuâ€.
APA Strasbourg bureau reports that head of the elections and referendums department of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe (PACE) Sergey Kuznetsov told Azerbaijani reporters in the winter session.
According to Mr. Kuznetsov, Venice Commission is ready to take up any parliamentary elections-related proposals submitted by Azerbaijani government or the bodies of the Council of Europe: â€œAs a rule, Committee of the Ministers of the Council of Europe affirms a program before the elections. Presently, the program related negotiations are in progress, and till March many issues will be clarified. I think, weâ€™ll keep on our cooperation with our partners like Milli Meclis (National Assembly), Central Election Commission and other state entitiesâ€.
S. Kuznetsov also says that theyâ€™ll try to get many interesting and election-related parties to partake in the realization of the program: â€œUndoubtedly, our main duty is to act in the field of legislation. Weâ€™ll try to respond any suggestions and inquiry promptlyâ€.
Answering a question with regard to necessity to improve the elective code of Azerbaijan, VC expert noted that there is no perfect act: â€œAny act needs to get improved. Even such complicated legislative act as elective code unveils its own weak sides. We have always noted about the weak sides in the Azerbaijani legislative code. Certainly, there are enough items that should be improved to ensure citizensâ€™ rights protection. On the other hand, we have always declared that we are ready to cooperate in drawing up the legislative act. However, there are two main instants. Itâ€™s possible to hold the transparent elections with unimproved legislative act, if there is a wish. But if there is not wish, even the legislative act, which meets the maximum standards, are unable to help in holding fair electionsâ€.
VC official added that if any amendments are envisaged in the legislation then it should be done quickly: â€œI regretfully have to note that if any amendments are made in the act for 90 days before the elections, it will create superfluous problemsâ€.