The Embassy of United States in Azerbaijan will take an active part in observing presidential elections to be held on 15 October.
“The Embassy will cooperate with the organizations who will observe elections and their opinion will be taken into consideration as a final assessment of elections,” Johanna Hanson, the adviser of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan on political affairs said during her meeting with the representatives of the Elections-2008 coalition of NGOs on 21 August.
Coalition of NGOs Elections-2008 was established to achieve more active participation of voters in the presidential elections. The coalition was founded by Inam pluralism center, Center of Multimedia Information Systems and Technologies, International Press Fund of Eurasia, members of board of directors of Press Council Umud Rahimoglu and chairman of KASKFEN Azar Hasrat.

Central Election Commission (CEC), Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) have today held training for the employees of election constituencies responsible for applications and complaints on the theme “Rules of considering applications and complaints”, APA reports. Chairman of Central Election Commission Mazahir Panahov said the citizens had the right to appeal for any matter in connection with the election process. He said all appeals of the citizens’ should be analyzed transparently and fairly by the election commissions and the appeals should be replied within the period allotted by the law.
Deputy Head of OSCE Office in Baku Alexis Chahtahtinsky said that OSCE seriously approached the issue on considering the appeals and complaints in Azerbaijan.

Voters’ signatures collected for the registration of Umid (Hope) Party’s presidential candidate Igbal Agazadeh have been submitted to Central Election Commission. The party’s press service told APA that over 45,000 signatures had been collected, but 1000 signatures were considered invalid during the control in the party’s election office.
Therefore there were signatures of 44,000 voters in the sheets submitted by the party to the Central Election Commission.

The opposition Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA) may not join the formant of cooperation of parties boycotting the upcoming presidential elections. “We reject the conditions set forth to consider election illegitimate which is the key principle of cooperation,” Sardar Jalaloglu, DPA chairman said to TrendNews.
Last week at the meeting of the Board of Chairmen of Azadlig bloc decided to create a center of cooperation of parties refusing to take part in the elections. Fuad Mustafayev, activist of Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan was assigned to hold talks with this regard.
Mustafayev determined the illegitimacy of elections as a key principle of cooperation of the parties. “Parties taking this step will immediately join this cooperation,” he added.

The format of Democratic Election Centre (DEC) of opposition parties in Azerbaijan will be changed.
“Parties, united in DEC, cannot either take part in the upcoming presidential elections. The organization will become centre of cooperation of parties, which will boycott the elections,” Zalimkhan Mammadli, chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (CPFPA), which united in DEC, told Trend News.
According to Mammadli, DEC does not stick to successful and principal position. “Centre’s key aim is to democratize the Election Code and pre-election situation, as well,” he said.

Elshan Manafov, former member of the Central Committee of the left Social-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (SDPA) is to stand for presidential post. “Manafov feels financial shortcomings to nominate his candidature,” Manafov told Trend News on 20 August.
At the meeting of SDPA Central Plenary session on 18 August, the party took a decision not to participate at the upcoming presidential elections with its own candidate due to financial problems.
Manafov rejects his refusal from membership in the party. “SDPA will hold a meeting in September. I will demand resignation of Araz Alizade, party’s co-chairman. The left parties reach serious successes in many countries. In Azerbaijan, however, left parties cannot reach any success. The activity of regional organizations of parties was paralyzed and party unites Alizade’s people. There are no Ayaz Mutalibov’s people represented in the party.

Two opposition parties of Azerbaijan, which opposed each other for a long period of time, will be united in one Centre of Cooperation.
“There is no any problem to unitre the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) and the Classical Popular Front Party (CPFP) in a new cooperation centre of opposition. Tensions between parties, which persisted earlier, are left back in history,” Zalimkhan Mammadli, the chairman of the CPFPA Supreme Assembly said to Trend News on 20 August.
Three opposition parties, including the Popular Front, the Liberal and the Citizen and Development, united in Azadlig bloc began to negotiate with opposition parties boycotting presidential elections in order to establish new centre of cooperation. The bloc held talks with Musavat, the CPFPA and the Public Forum of For Azerbaijan.

The opposition Great Establishment Party (GEP) will not boycott the presidential elections. “The GEP just does not participate in the elections with its own candidate. Members of our party will participate in voting,” MP Fazil Gazanfaroglu, the chairman of the GEP said to Trend News on 20 August.
According to Gazanfaroglu, the party’s members have not given with any instruction to vote for any concrete candidate from the opposition or the authorities. “On this matter, we give our members full freedom and we made a decision on this matter. They can vote for any candidate,” Gazanfaroglu said.

Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, a former chairman of Supreme Assembly of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), will not withdraw his presidential candidature in the current stage.
“After discussions at the election office, it was decided to begin signature collecting campaign for registration of the candidature,” Alibayli told TrendNews on 20 August.
Alibayli said that this issue was widely discussed at the election office. “We decided to collect at least 40,000 signatures required for registration of candidature and participate in the election campaign after registration of candidature. I do not exclude to re-consider withdrawal of my candidature in the next stage of the election campaign,” he added.

On 20 August, the Azerbaijani Central Elections Commission (CEC) approved candidacy of two more presidential contenders, including unemployed Arif Aliyev and Ali Agayevli. Both presidential contenders run for presidency independently.
Thus, the CEC has approved a total of 16 presidential candidates. The CEC registered the candidature of President Ilham Aliyev, the chairman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) at the meeting on 16 August.

Great Establishment Party will reconsider the issue on participating in the presidential elections. Chairman of the party’s Supreme Assembly Ajdar Aliyev told APA that the meeting of the Supreme Assembly would be held on August 21.
“Local structures of the organization are dissatisfied with the party’s decision on not participating in the elections and they want the party to participate in the elections. Maybe decision will be made to participate in the elections,” he said.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has assured international watchdogs that the democratic elections will be held in the country. The authorities will attempt to provide conditions to hold transparent and democratic presidential elections,” Elmar Mammadyarov, Foreign Minister, said at the meeting with Yevgeniy Sloboda, Chief of CIS Watchdog Commission at the upcoming presidential elections.
Sloboda expressed satisfaction regarding the supplements and changes introduced into the Azerbaijani Election Code. Azerbaijan will host the presidential elections in October 2008.