BAKU: Azerbaijan is gearing up for its early presidential election scheduled for February 7, with an international presence confirmed as 72 observers from 19 countries are set to monitor the electoral process. Mazahir Panahov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC), announced the positive response to appeals from the international community during today’s CEC meeting.
Panahov provided details on the composition of the observer groups, highlighting that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) has confirmed 37 observers, the CIS Parliamentary Assembly has 17, Turkey has five, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) contributed nine observers. Additionally, an observation mission led by the Chairman of the Georgian CEC is also set to participate.
Local Observers for Azerbaijan Presidential Election
In tandem with the international observers, the Azerbaijani CEC accredited 228 local observers. This includes 92 who volunteered on their own initiative, 10 representing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and 126 observers from the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) with special permission.
The presidential election in Azerbaijan gained further clarity as the CEC, on December 19, approved the candidacy of Ilham Aliyev, nominated by the YAP, for participation in the upcoming election. Subsequent sessions on December 21 and 26, along with December 30, saw the approval of self-nominated candidates and finalized the list of contenders.
The CEC meeting held today officially registered the candidacies of Zahid Oruj and Razi Nurullayev for the post of president, solidifying the candidates for the early election. The election, set to take place on February 7, 2024, was announced by President Ilham Aliyev through a decree signed on December 30, 2023.
