The Azerbaijani authorities consider claim of the opposition Umid (Hope) Party’s presidential candidature on officials’ participation in the propaganda campaign, organized by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), as groundless.
“There is not such a case and the Umid Party’s apply to the Central Elections Commission (CEC) is unfair,” Ali Hasanov, the head of the Public and Political Department of the Azerbaijani President’s Administration, told journalists on 24 September.
None of top state employees participates in the pre-election propaganda campaign held by the ruling party, Hasanov said.
“As to any state employees’ participation in demonstration organized by any party after the working hours, it is their private right. Every state employee is a citizen and voter. They have the right to join any action after the working hours,” Hasanov said.
State employees do not participate actively in the pre-election propaganda campaign or sound challenges against or for any candidature, he said.
“If such case happens, measure will be taken in line with the Law,” Hasanov said. /Trend/

The Azerbaijani opposition bloc Azadlig (Liberty) considers some opposition parties’ opinion regarding the mass actions as incorrect step.
“Arguments of political forces, which refused to participate in the presidential elections, should be publicized. It is impossible to inform the whole society only through media. Mass actions should be used as a mean of publicizing these arguments,” Ali Aliyev, the chairman of the Citizen and Development Party (CDP), told Trend News on 24 September.
At the beginning of September, parties included in Azadlig bloc the (the Popular Front Party, the Liberal Party and the Citizen and Development), the Musavat Party and the Public Forum ‘For Azerbaijan’ signed a joint statement on recognition of the presidential elections to be held on 15 October as illegitimate. Government to be formed after the presidential elections, are announced as illegitimate in the statement.
On 22 September political organizations, which signed a joint statement to boycott the presidential elections, applied to the Baku City Administration to sanction a demonstration scheduled for 28 September.
Work with public on demonstration is delayed a little bit, Aliyev said. “The organizing committee in charge of arrangements for demonstration is waiting for a reply from the Baku City Administration. As soon as the place of mass actions is defined, we will launch mechanisms to inform the public on demonstrations,” he said.
“It depends on a place to be authorized for mass actions,” Aliyev said. He was commenting on appeals by other opposition parties on joining the demonstration. “We do not have a concrete decision on an official appeal to other political parties. Following a decision on authorization of the place a meeting, we will decide to whom appeal in this respect,” Aliyev said.
Although about 10,000 people are expected to participate in demonstration, Aliyev find it difficult to make earlier forecasts on mass actions. “It has been three years that freedom of assembly is not provided in Azerbaijan. We mentioned in the appeal, which was submitted to the City Administration, that about 10,000 people are expected to participate in the action, taking into consideration resources of political organizations. However, number of participants in the demonstration may rise,” the CDP chairman said. /Trend/

The presidential candidate, Chairman of the United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (BAXCP) Gudrat Hasanguliyev met with the voters in Lankaran City on Wednesday. His representative, Chairman of the United Azerbaijan National Unity Party Hajibaba Azimov opened the meeting at the Lankaran Olympic Center and informed the voters about the candidate.
Hasanguliyev spoke about the Constitutional reforms in Azerbaijan, socio-economic aspects of his program, settlement of Nagorno Karabakh problem and army-building. The candidate said that oil incomes in Azerbaijan should be spent usefully and production and refinery plants should be opened in the country.
Professor of the Lankaran State University Masud Mammadov spoke about the negative cases observed in his organization. Hasanguliyev listened to complaints of the voters and responded their questions. /APA/

CIS Observation Mission met with Muzaffar Bakhishov, the representative of Azerbaijani presidential candidate Qulamhuseyn Alibeyli, APA reports. The sides discussed the overall preparations of candidate Qulamhuseyn Alibeyli for presidential elections.
During the meeting the head of the mission displayed interest with the overall election situation in the country. He asked if Alibeyli faced any problems in collecting signatures and about the process of the agitation campaign and so on.
Muzaffar Bakhishov informed the mission that preparations for elections were held on the highest level.
The CIS observation mission is planning to hold meetings with all the presidential candidates. /APA/

The Central Election Commission has commenced trainings for members of election sub-commission, CEC press service told the APA. The trainings will be held in all constituencies in the country. The sub-commission members will be explained how to function during voting day. About 30 thousand members will be participated in the trainings. The program is realized by the training group of CEC. Meanwhile, the trainings will last till late September. /APA/

The Azerbaijani government says there is a need to set up new opposition parties in Azerbaijan.
“Given the participation of several opposition persons in the upcoming presidential elections, new efficient parties may be set up in two to three years,” Elnur Aslanov, head of Political Analysis and Dateware Department of Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan said to TrendNews.
“When we repeatedly stressed the need for new opposition parties in Azerbaijan, we relied on the political analysis. Leaders of several opposition parties hold their chairs so strongly that by not conceding to anybody, they lead their organization to total regress which harms political space, Aslanov said. The members of these parties await updating which leads to resignation of some activists as there is no other way out, he said.
“The presence of opposing organizations is an incentive for more progress for any society. Constructive opposition is important factor for Azerbaijani government who chose democratic development as a priority of the national strategy. Opposition’s decision to boycott elections will not have any impact on the attitude of international organizations toward presidential elections,” Aslanov said.
“International organizations did not understand the reason of current steps of opposition. Joining elections means the political organization is functioning,” Aslanov said.
There are usually two reasons for not taking part in elections: either little public support or possibility of dissolution of political organization. Given equal conditions provided for all candidates, refusal to take part in the elections can be described only as a probable withdrawal from the political scene by leaders of these political organizations. As a whole, it is high time for all candidates to yield their post to new generation,” official of Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan said. /Trend/

The Co-chair of the Green Party of Azerbaijan, Mayis Gulaliyev, whose presidential candidatures was not registered, calls upon his electors not to participate in the elections.
“If my complaint regarding the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) not to register my candidature is not satisfied by 15 October, I will call upon the electors of the party not to participate in the elections,” Gulaliyev told TrendNews on 23 September.
Party collected and submitted more than 44,000 signatures to the CEC for registration of its candidate. Considering invalid the signatures, the CEC did not register Gulaliyev’s candidature.
The Appeal Court of Baku did not satisfy the complaint of the party to cancel the decision of the CEC.
Gulaliyev said that he made a complaint to the Supreme Court with regards to the decision of the Appeal Court. “If the Supreme Court also upholds groundless decision of the CEC, the party will appeal to the Constitutional Court,” he added.
The Co-chair of the Green Party stated that he will use all possible means provided by the law to cancel the decision of the CEC, and said that he intends to go up to the European Court. /Trend/

The Russian community in Azerbaijan will vote for the candidate of the governing party, Ilham Aliyev, during the Presidential elections in Azerbaijan. “Ilham Aliyev made a large contribution to the development of Azerbaijan, improvement of social condition of the Russian community residing in Azerbaijan,” Head of the Russian community, MP Mikhail Zabelin, said during presentation of book ‘Russians in Azerbaijan’ on 23 September.
“Azerbaijan takes the first place amongst the countries of this region for multinationality of citizens, much attention is paid to the Russian language exactly in Azerbaijan, the number of the Russian language press exceed the number of those in Georgia and Armenia,” he said. During the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan, the representatives of this community will vote for the candidate of the governing party, he said. /Trend/

The Azerbaijani Central Elections Commission (CEC) begins to print ballot papers for the upcoming presidential elections to be held on 15 October, Mazahir Panahov, the CEC chairman said on 23 September.
Ballot papers will be printed at the publishing house of the Azerbaijani Parliament under supervision of five members and the CEC employees.
Media representatives can also participate in printing ballots, Panahov said. A total of 4,903,600 ballots will be printed within ten days. /Trend/

The Azerbaijani Central Elections Commission (CEC) registered lawyers of Gudrat Hasanguliyev, the presidential candidature of the opposition Unified Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (UPFPA).
“The UPFPA submitted the list of the presidential candidature Hasanguliyev’s 50 lawyers to the CEC,” Natig Mammadov, the CEC secretary, said at a meeting on 23 September.
The CEC made a decision on representation of Mikail Rahimov, who was nominated by the UPFPA, as a consultant in the commission. /Trend/

Two political parties of Azerbaijan- the pro-governmental World of Democratic Azerbaijan Party and the opposition Great Nation Party have united.
“The parties agreed to function jointly, because there are not differences between ideological and political views of parties,” Samir Adigozelli, the chairman of the Great Nation Party, said at a news conference held in the International Media Centre of Trend News Company on 23 September.
Both parties decided to support candidature of the chairman of the ruling NAP and current President Ilham Aliyev in the presidential elections to be held on 15 October.
The Executive Staff gave a positive answer to the GNP’s apply to unite with WDAP, Mirkazim Seyidov, the deputy chairman of the WDAP said. “Under regulation of the party, it is not allowed to unite as a group. Therefore, the GNP cancelled its political activity and its members were accepted individually to the WDAP,” Seyidov said.
Adigozelli, the chairman of the GNP, was appointed the deputy chairman and press secretary of the WDAP, he said.
Four more parties applied to the WDAP to join this political organization, Seyidov said. /Trend/

Igbal Agazade, chairman of opposition Umid (Hope) Party of Azerbaijan running for presidency says some local administrative agencies hinder conduct of election campaign.
“Some local administrative agencies hinder our election campaign,” Agazade said to TrendNews.
Agazade said he is pleased with the work of regional organizations of the party and activists dealing with election campaign. “The election campaign has just started. I think we will achieve better results,” he said.
As posters are placed on sites determined by the Central Election Commission, they are not torn, he said.
Umid Party is not going to stage mass demonstrations during election campaign, he said.
“We are working in line with a new tactics. Our chief aim is to communicate with voters closely. We use “door-to-door” method for this purpose. Our supporters do not need to assemble for a demonstration,” he added. /Trend/