OSCE PA Observation Mission Not to Monitor Azerbaijani Presidential Election

An observation mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) will not observe the presidential elections in Azerbaijan, member of the OSCE PA Office, MP Azay Guliyev told Trend news agency on July 23.

According to him, the OSCE PA mission will not participate as observer in the presidential election, as the autumn session of the organization falls on the same date as the elections - October 13-15.

Regarding the possibility of dispatching even a small delegation, the MP said that the OSCE PA probably has little concern about the elections in Azerbaijan and therefore, there is no need for such a decision.

Furtermore, the Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Elkhan Suleymanov has recently said that the European Parliament announced Azerbaijan is no longer included in the list of countries where an observation mission is needed at elections.

He said further that the European Parliament, in accordance with the agreement on cooperation with Azerbaijan, has sent three election observation missions to the country -- in 2005, 2008 and 2010 -- to evaluate the situation on the ground. Having evaluated the positive changes, its representatives prepared positive reports.

The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan in October 2013.

PN Member Azay Guliyev is currently serving on the Permanent Committee on State Building and Legislative Policy of the Parliament of Azerbaijan. He has recently been elected Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. 

Originally published on azernews.az.

Photo by Matthias Catón.