OSCE/ODIHR mission for observing elections in Azerbaijan has released its second report, APA reports. The report says that the pre-election atmosphere in the country is calm.
“There is little public interest in the elections, due to the lack of bright competition. Only New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) is carrying out active pre-election campaign. Other candidates are also carrying out election campaign, but this process is not active,” the report says.
The report notes that the capital leadership did not sanction the rally of the boycotting opposition parties in the center of Baku basing on the law on freedom of assembly.
“Central Election Commission is actively preparing for the elections. CEC plans to install web cameras to ensure transparent election process. Regular debates held with the Public Television provide opportunities for all the candidates to introduce their platforms,” the report says. /APA/

ACSDA presented monitoring results for one month held in Mass Media concerning presidential elections, APA reports. The monitoring will be conducted till the election date. Monitoring covers the activity of 7 TV channels, and 8 daily newspapers.During the past time generally 327 information was presented on TV channels concerning elections, of them 295 were official and general information concerning international missions and monitoring of election process, 17 talk-shows, round tables and 105 information about candidates and political advertisements.

The time allotted for appealing to Central Election Commission (CEC) to observe the presidential elections on October 15 has expired, spokesman for CEC Azer Sariyev told APA. He said that according to the work schedule approved by CEC registration of observers ends 10 days before the voting. The persons registered by CEC have the right to observe the voting process in any election constituency and polling station in the country. Azer Sariyev said the final result was not known, since not all of the applications of local and foreign observers had been considered. According to the recent accounts, CEC registered over 1000 people.

Azer Sariyev said registration of observers in the election constituencies would end five days before the voting. /APA/

Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament Ogtay Asadov received head of OSCE Election Observation Mission Boris Frlec, the Parliament’s Press Service told APA. Ogtay Asadov said work was being done to raise legislation system in Azerbaijan to the level of the world standards. The Speaker said that relevant measures were being taken to hold democratic, transparent and fair elections in Azerbaijan, amendments had been made to the Electoral Code and law on freedom of assembly.

Boris Frlec praised the amendments made to the Electoral Code and law on freedom of assembly.
“Present legal framework of Azerbaijan makes it available to hold democratic presidential elections,” he said.
He expressed his confidence that free, transparent and democratic presidential elections would be held in Azerbaijan. /APA/

Ukraine’s Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan Boris Klimchuk met with Chairman of Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov. CEC’s Press Service told APA that the ambassador concerned himself with the preparations for the presidential elections. The CEC Chairman briefed the ambassador about the measures taken for preparation for the elections, working principles of election commissions. They also noted that Central Election Commissions of Azerbaijan and Ukraine had signed Memorandum of Cooperation and the commissions had been exchanging experience for six years. /APA/

Presidential candidate from Great Establishment Party met with voters in Shirvan on October 5. APA’s Mil-Mughan bureau reports that Fazil Mustafayev gave information about his election platform and answered their questions.
The candidate spoke about making Azerbaijan a welfare country. OSCE representatives observed the meeting. /APA/

The Head of the Election Headquarters of ACSDA Maharram Zulfugarli met with the presidential candidate I.Agazadeh. I. Agazadeh expressed his opinion on survey held by ELS organization cooperating with ACSDA, presented information on processing of election campaign, meetings, and election and informed the representative of the ACSDA with the campaign materials.

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) demands from the opposition Azadlig (Freedom) newspaper to issue refutation on the news which targeted disinformation and slander against the authorities. “Despite claims of the Press Council on Azadlig newspaper, the newspaper continues to publish tendentious articles, which distort the NAP’s activities and the state policy of the authorities,” the ruling party’s statement reports.
The NAP repeatedly applied to the Press Council because of slanderous and false articles, which intend to damage prestige of the party, as well as humiliate honor and dignity. However, the newspaper continues to hold tendentious position against the ruling party. The ruling party decisively condemns activity of the newspaper and demands from the leadership of the newspaper to publish its refutation in line with a decision of the Press Council: “At the same time, the NAP demands from the Azadlig newspaper to refute and apologize for the article distorting a report of the Election Monitoring Centre, which did not pass a registration, to slander against the candidate of the ruling party. Otherwise, the NAP will take serious measures against the newspaper within the framework of the legislation.”
On 19 September in 2008 the Press Council held the next public discussions on slanderous articles, which were published in the Azadlig newspaper, on the base of the NAP’s appeal. And the organization made a decision demanding from the newspaper to refute the articles or to apologize for it: “In the opposite, the newspaper continues its unreasonable and unethical activity against the NAP and authorities.” /Trend/

Section for students was opened at the Azerbaijani President’s website - newforkids.president.az.
Pages were formed in comfortable format for young generation’s use.
The page includes data on history, geography, political system, culture, state symbols, main achievements and problems of Azerbaijan in the Azerbaijani language for students. A certain section was dedicated to National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s activity.
Regular heroes of the website – three young people explain map of the site to young people and grants main data. Data on the Azerbaijani Constitution was posted at the section, as well. The data comprises main rights and freedom of Azerbaijani citizens, issue on division of powers and measures of citizen’s responsibility before the Motherland. There is a comprehensive data on the Azerbaijani President’s activity in the section of My President (Mənim Prezidentim). Young users of the site get information on democratic rules of election of President and other branches of the authorities. Besides it, the website comprises comprehensive data on President’s personality and his daily activity both in text and photo format. Young generation can independently get information on the country, the President, main aspects, which influence formation of personality of the Azerbaijani young citizens, at http://mektebli.president.az/.
There are the same pages of Presidents of the United States, Russia, Pakistan, France and the British Premier in the Internet.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani presidential candidate Ilham Aliyev’s website has been launched recently - http://ilhamlaireli.az/.
The website, which was developed in a special way, attracts attention for its design. Full data on the presidential candidate’s activity was posted at the website for voters: visits to regions, speeches and receptions. The website functions in three-language format, presenting data simultaneously in the Azerbaijani, Russian and English languages.
The presidential candidates’ pre-election site offers feedback with users and users can send e-mail to the candidate’s election staff through it. /Trend/

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan registered 279 international observers to observe the presidential elections.The registered observers are the representatives of the Council of Europe, OSCE, the CIS observation mission, other different countries and organizations, head of CEC public relations department, Rovzat Gasimov, told Trend News.
The registration of observers in the CEC will complete 10 days prior to the elections and in the district election commissions five days.
/Trend/