Azerbaijan’s presidential candidate Hafiz Hajiyev will start meetings with voters. His election office told APA that Hafiz Hajiyev would meet with the voters in Salyan the next day.
The candidate has also sent letters to the relevant bodies for meeting with prisoners. /APA/

APA and experts seek answer for question “Which candidate’s poster is better?”
Election campaign of the presidential candidates started on September 17. Photos of five candidates have already been pasted. There exist various views on how attractive the photos, posters should be in order to draw the attention of the voters.

Head of Independent Consulting Center for Civil Society Eldar Ismayilov told APA that posters were not so important for winning in Azerbaijan, but the posters of Ilham Aliyev were the most attractive. Eldar Ismayilov said there was nothing extraordinary in other posters.

President of Constitutional Research Fund Alimammad Nuriyev regarded the candidates’ posters as “good photos for acquaintance”.
“Ilham Aliyev’s photos have good photo effect. But it would be better if the posters contained slogans reflecting the candidate’s platform. In this respect I think Gudrat Hasanguliyev’s poster is good,” he said.
Nuriyev said photos could reflect both the candidates’ activity and promises.
“Unfortunately, these photos can attract only 5-7 percent of the voters,” he said.

Head of election department of the association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan Maharram Zulfugarli said every candidate should take into account three criteria before joining the elections. These are time, human resources and money.
“Despite the start of the election campaign, the photos of only four or five candidates have been introduced. It shows that some candidates have not made preparations for the process seriously. The photos are not attractive enough. Special technologies have not been used. Posters of Ilham Aliyev and Gudrat Hasanguliyev are good,” he said.
Zulfugarli also said that they monitored the candidates’ promotion activities.
Chairman of Azerbaijan Advertisers Union Hacami Atakishiyev featured the photo-posters of the candidates professionally. “Ilham Aliyev’s photo-poster was chosen successfully in terms of introduction. No extra components were used in the poster and he is saying this is Me. Ilham Aliyev’s poster is effective in this term. Other posters have artificial elements and it appears mostly in Igbal Agazadeh’s, Gudrat Hasanguliyev’s and Fazil Gazanfaroglu’s photo-posters. Fazil Gzanfaroglu’s poster was not chosen correctly. There are mostly tourist elements. A jacket is hanging on hand and left old city behind”. Atakishiyev said political advertisement had to introduce the person. “It should be concrete introduction of the person in the political advertisements, because components around are distracting attention”.
Advertising manager Nadir Badalov said that the posters were not meeting the international standards. “First of all photo of the presidential candidates shouldn’t be introduced to the society in A2 format. The photos are not bad. I think only Ilham Aliyev doesn’t need in introduction to the society. Fazil Gazanfaroglu’s and Gudrat Hasanguliyev’s photos are simple in terns of political advertising. There are positive findings in Igbal Agazadeh’s picture and slogan”. Badalov said ordinary voters couldn’t see differences in these posters. “It is a chance for those who want to introduce themselves to the society”. Badalov said candidates run for elections in Europe preferred larger and politically-featured posters. /APA/

The election campaign of Ilham Aliyev, the presidential candidate of Azerbaijan’s governing New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), is underway in all regions of the country. “Hundreds thousand of people have participated in the NAP election campaign under the slogan ‘Forward with Ilham’, NAP news service said to Trend News on 25 September.
“Every meeting envisaged in the election campaign of Ilham Aliyev is mass and active. The meetings held once more proved that the political course of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, political and economic reforms implemented by his successor Ilham Aliyev are unanimously supported by the people,” news service said.
According to the NAP, electors, public representatives with pleasure join the meetings which are held in the places envisaged for candidate’s mass actions by the law. They also highly appreciate the economic and social development in the country under the leadership of worthy continuator of Heydar Aliyev’s course and unconditionally support the candidature of country’s current President. “The election campaign of President Ilham Aliyev is underway. Owing to the most up-to-date elections technologies applied by the NAP, the election history of today’s Azerbaijan opened a new page,” party said.
Representatives of the NAP election campaign held meetings with electors in Zagatala, Sheki, Gabala, Ujar, Agdash, Shamkir, Gadabay, Lerik, Masalli, Samukh, Imishli, Terter regions in the country and in the Yasamal, Sabunchu, Surakhani, Garadag, Binagadi, Nasimi districts in Baku. /Trend/

Ayaz Mutallibov, co-chairman of oppositional left wing Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (SDPA) says rumors about his quitting post of co-chairman of the party are not true.
Whether to retain post of co-chairman of the party is my own business, Mutallibov said to TrendNews by telephone from Moscow.
Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan will hold a conference on 27 September.
Mutallibov said it is not possible to run the party by telephone from a long distance.
Though I have been running the party for the last five years, I can not come to my home land yet. If I ran the party right in Baku, there would be no rumors, he added.
He said he did not expect any serious changes take place in the next conference of the party.
All members of the party who accept socio-democratic policy and idea of the party are my partners, he said.
Mutallibov said certain processes within the party are natural. We have certain problems as other parties. We never hide them. We are a democratic party, he said.
He said he will join conference of the party by telephone. /Trend/

The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) registered about 700 local observers of the presidential elections. Over 200 observers are the representatives of local NGOs, CEC said to Trend News on 25 September.
District election commissions registered 20,000 observers. CEC will complete registration of observers ten days and district election commission five days before the voting. /Trend/

After finishing trainigs for observers in 12 regional centers of Azerbaijan, the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) started to launch a new project related to the election enlightenment on the eve of the presidential elections.
The members of the Association held a semiar in Sumgait State Univercity onSeptember 26. Issues related to recommendations of Venice Commission, changes to Election Code, ways to increase voter’s activity, importance of enlightenment process in fair and transparent elections, exit poll and quick count analisys etc were discussed in the event attended by more than hundred students and teachers. Head of ACSDA EH Maharram Zulfugarli, ACSDA’s members Ramil Gasimzadeh and Osman Agayev responded to dufferent questions of participants.
ACSDA continues events in regions within the project “Burst of voters’ activity in presidential and municipal elections, organization of enlightenment to contribute to hold transparent elections” supported by the Council of State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations under the President of Azerbaijani Republic.

Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (PBC) cast lots in order to determine the presidential candidates` air time with the presence of their representatives, APA reports quoting the press service of the TV channel. Chingiz Aslanov, the head of Draw Commission, deputy director of Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (PBC) said that the candidates will get about 6 hours of air time and five candidates had already requested for air time since the election campaign was launched. He further added that air time was determined from 09:51 until 22:51 both on TV and Radio. Both TV and Radio were provided with equal condition.
According to lots results, Hafiz Hajiyev, from Muasir Musavat Party (New Musavat) was chosen to be the first candidate to get free air time followed by Ilham Aliyev, current president from ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party, Igbal Aghazadeh, Umud Party (Hope Party), Gudrat Hasanquliyev, United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, and Fazil Gazanfaroghlu, Great Salvation Party. The candidates will not be able to overuse their air times.
18:51 and 19:51 air times determined for even weekdays will be replaced with 18:42 and 19:54 accordingly in connection with round-table talks between the candidates. Mr. Aslanov told journalists that PBC had made changes to fees for air times. Candidates who will be using TV will get 30%, and those using Radio will get 50% discount on air times./APA/

The Azerbaijan National Independence Party held a zonal conference on “Preparation for Dialog, Abilities to Conduct Negotiations, Alliances in Election and Local Policy” along with Swedish Moderat and Jarl Harmson Foundation, press service of the Party told the APA. According to the information, session was held in Lankaran region of Azerbaijan. The event was attended by the representatives of the Foundation and members of ANIP central office. /APA/

British Alison Sutherland and German Reinhard Brysch, OSCE oberserves met with Executive Power and Constituency Election Commission 116 of Gabala region. They are reported to hold meetings with officials of Executive Power and 116 Constituency ELection Commission of Gabala. Tofig Ibrahimov, the head of the executive power, informed the observers about the region, its history, ethnic composition of local population, their employment condition, region’s economy, agriculture, etc. He underlined the preparation works in residential areas in connection with October 15 presidential elections. /APA/

Baku Mayor’s Office has replied to several opposition parties’ appeal in connection with the rally planned for September 28. Head of Central Executive Board of Musavat Party Arif Hajili told APA that the Mayor’s Office did not sanction the parties’ rally. The city administration offered to hold the rally in Bibiheybet stadium of Neftchi Spott-health center. Arif Hajili said they were not going to hold the rally in Bibiheybet and postponed the rally.
“We will appeal to court in connection with the decision of Baku Mayor’s Office. We will also begin discussing other ways for holding rallies and unsanctioned rallies,” he said.
Musavat Party, Azerbaijan People’s Front Party, Liberal Party, Citizen and Development Party, Public Forum for Azerbaijan had scheduled rally for September 28. In their appeal to the Mayor’s Office the parties asked permission for holding rally in one of the nine squares. /APA/

The first stage of the trainings related to Exit Poll research to be held by “ELS” Independent Researches Center along with the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) concluded. According to the information of the Center, more than 1600 interviewers and about 200 supervisors took part in the first stage of the trainings held in all constituencies and polling stations in the country. The interviewers and supervisors were given broad information about organization of exit poll and research. The attendees were also shown the blanks of questionnaires to be used during exit poll. The trainers didn’t encounter any serious problem within the first stage of the trainings. Some interviewers lacking the criteria as age and appearance were replaced by others in reserve. Meanwhile, the representatives of the OSCE Baku office also attended the trainings and appraised the level of them. The expert group of “ELS” Independent Researches Center also participated in the trainings and gave recommendations to interviewers and supervisors related to the conduction of exit poll.
Meanwhile, the first stage of the trainings finished on September 22. The second stage of the trainings will start on September 27 after the precise list of candidates is approved, the Center informed.

Results of presidential elections to be held in Azerbaijan will be discussed at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January 2009.
“Issues regarding Azerbaijan will be considered during the winter session,” Samed Seyidov, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE, the chairman of the permanent parliamentary commission on international and interparliamentary relations of the Milli Majlis [Parliament] told Trend News on 24 September.
The agenda of the autumn session does not include any issue on Azerbaijan, as the country is in the run up to the presidential elections.
During the autumn session it is not planned to hold a meeting of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, or elect the new chairman of this committee, Seyidov said.
“Over two days the session will mull over conflict between Georgia and Russia. Members of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Georgian-Russian conflict have left for Russia. The delegation will shortly visit Georgia. The session will discuss the results of visit and a report to be developed in this respect, Seyidov said.
Azerbaijan supports the territorial integrity of Georgia and the parliamentary delegates to the PACE will come out from this position at the PACE session. “Azerbaijan recognizes territorial integrity of Georgia. We want solution to the conflict within the framework of international norms, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders, as well as peace in the region,” Seyidov said.
The delegation will leave for Strasbourg on 27 September.