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Samad Seyidov: â€œPresidential elections in Azerbaijan were not included in PACE January session agendaâ€ â€“ EXCLUSIVE

Samad Seyidov: â€œPresidential elections in Azerbaijan were not included in PACE January session agendaâ€ â€“ <font color=red>EXCLUSIVE </font>

28 November 2008 16:23 (UTC +04:00)

PACE Monitoring Committeeâ€™s co-rapporteur for Azerbaijan Andres Herkel submitted his report, which was widely discussed at the Committee. PACE President Luis Maria de Puig and 12 others delivered speeches on this issue. The PACE president said Azerbaijani people elected its president and freely expressed its will. â€œThe PACE president said that the elections were realized and principles of the Council of Europe were observed during the voting. If the people freely elected its president, it means the elections were held in accordance with the values of the Council of Europeâ€.

Seyidov said it was reported at the meeting that the presidential elections in Azerbaijan were organized on the basis of democratic principles and the Committee decided not to include the issue in the January session agendaâ€.

Seyidov said Azerbaijan-CE relations would be developed further and the organization expressed its readiness to assist our country in the next elections too. â€œThe issues of joint report of the OSCE and PACE observers was seriously discussed both at the Madrid meeting of PACE Bureau yesterday and at the meeting of Permanent Committee today. PACE members expressed dissatisfaction with this issue and decided to hold hearings on the joint observation during the PACE January sessionâ€.