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Janez Lenarcic: The November elections are an opportunity for Azerbaijan to demonstrate that it is committed about improving the election process - INTERVIEW

23 September 2010 15:44 (UTC +04:00)

Moscow. Viktoria Dementyeva â€“ APA. APAâ€™s interview with Director of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Janez Lenarcic

- Has there been any progress in democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination fields in Azerbaijan for last couple years since you were appointed as ODIHR Director?

-There certainly have been a few encouraging steps in the last couple of years. Let me mention a few examples from areas related to our work. Azerbaijan has ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture last year and has given the Ombudsman office a strong role in promoting compliance. We are supporting the Ombudsman in this regard, but it is clear that the Ombudsmanâ€™s office needs more resources to carry out this task in cooperation with civil society. We took note of the new State Program on the Development of the Justice Sector, launched in 2009, and the adoption of a new Administrative Procedure Code, which is hoped to increase the efficiency of the court system. We also hope that the new legislation on domestic violence will soon be signed into force by the President. On the other hand, there are a number of areas where improvements in the implementation of OSCE commitments are needed. For example, a number of important recommendations we made on the electoral framework have remained unaddressed. Also, the media environment has grown more restrictive, especially with the closure of foreign broadcasters in 2008.

- How effectively is the government of Azerbaijan implementing ODIHR recommendations in the field of human rights and democracy?

-We have made a number of recommendations over the past years on how Azerbaijan can improve its election framework and have encouraged the authorities to develop a dialogue on election-related issues with all political forces in the country to address issues of outstanding concern and enhance confidence in the election process. Progress has been made in implementing some of these recommendations. For example, interference by state officials in the election process has been prohibited, voter registration has been improved, and there have been attempts to address the complaints and appeals process. I would also mention the law on freedom of assembly, the inking of votersâ€™ fingers, and the publication of results by polling station on the internet.
However, it is also clear that some key recommendations from previous years have not been addressed. These include recommendations concerning the composition of election commissions, adequate and equitable media coverage, and military voting, for example. Moreover, some of the points where progress has been made need further focus on implementation. For example, inking of fingers is useful as a safeguard only if ink is applied to all voters and is checked for all voters. Changes to the complaints mechanisms help only if this results in complaints being dealt with fairly, transparently and in a timely manner.

-What does ODIHR expect from the upcoming parliamentary election in Azerbaijan?

-The November elections are an opportunity for Azerbaijan to demonstrate that it is committed about improving the election process and tackling the challenge of ameliorating the broader democratic context in which these elections are held.
It is important to underline that we enter each observation without preconceived ideas or political agendas. Our mandate is clear: we are invited to observe the electoral process in light of the commitments Azerbaijan has undertaken as a participating State of the OSCE. ODIHR will do this in a strictly impartial, objective and non-politicized manner.

- ODIHR has already announced that it is going to observe November parliamentary elections in our country. Has the head of the observation mission already been appointed?

-The ODIHR Election Observation Mission will be headed by Dame Audrey Glover. Dame Glover has headed numerous observation missions for ODIHR and has a long experience in this field, dating back to her function as ODIHR Director in the mid-1990s.

- Are you planning a visit to Azerbaijan before elections to estimate the pre-election situation or a visit to monitor the upcoming elections?

-The pre-election situation has already been analysed by the needs assessment mission that visited Azerbaijan in June. Our mission will be on the ground from next week. I myself am planning to go to Baku to support our election observation mission for election day.