Fri 20 November 2009 | 05:45 GMT Text size:

Central Election Commission

Azerbaijan's regional election commissions have so far registered 31,356 candidates to contest the local elections on 23 December.

Of the 31,356 candidates who have passed the final stage of registration, 20,243 represent 30 political parties, while 11,113 have no party affiliation, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported on Thursday.

The CEC registered candidates officially nominated by 18 parties. The other 12 parties who have candidates are not contesting the elections officially, but are offering support to their party members who are standing.

Of the registered candidates, 15,729 have higher education and 6,182 people are women, the CEC said.

The registration of candidates will end at 18.00 on 23 November. In all 35,076 potential candidates in 1,718 municipalities submitted their applications for registration, of whom 34,699 passed the initial stage of the registration process and 31,356 passed the final stage.

CIS monitors see no flaws

Meanwhile, the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Council has sent a mission to observe the election process.

The Baku branch of the International Institute for the Monitoring of Democracy, Parliamenrtarism & Citizens’ Election Rights of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Council’s Secretariat disseminated a statement on Thursday on preparations for the municipal elections in Azerbaijan.

The statement says that the observation mission found no grave flaws in the election process.

“No breaches of legislation were observed in the election commissions where we conducted monitoring," the statement says.

Monitors visited the cities of Ganja and Sumgait and the regions of Absheron, Shemakha, Oguz and Shamkir to observe the work of election commissions.

“The monitoring established that the divisional and district election commissions are following the timetable adopted by the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan,” the statement says.


1 news.az  Fineko/abc.az