The republic meeting of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) was held on 8 September due to the upcoming presidential elections. Delivering a speech at the meeting, Ali Ahmadov, NAP Executive Secretary and Deputy Chairman, spoke about works carried out due to preparations to the presidential elections and task put forward party’s regional organizations. A source told Trend News.
Azerbaijan will host the presidential elections on 15 October. The candidature of the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev and chairman of NAP was officially registered in the Central Election Commission.
The meeting guaranteed that NAP’s potential will be able to hold the election campaign on high rate. The agitation program, tasks and new agitation means were the subject of the meeting.
Party’s regional organizations were charged with necessary recommendations to hold agitation campaign. /Trend/

The opposition Azerbaijani Democratic Party (ADP) believes that some opposition party’s statements to recognize results of the presidential elections as illegal is a wrong political step.
“Some opposition party’s statement will lead to worsening of democratic situation in Azerbaijan, while danger aroused for state independency of the country in the region,” the ADP said.
According to the ADP, the statement damaged future serious and strategic cooperation of the opposition. /Trend/

The first assembly of the press group set under Central Election Commission (CEC) related to the presidential elections, was held on September 8, APA reports. CEC member Azar Tagiyev was appointed the chief of the group. The meeting attendees discussed the measures to be taken in election campaign stage. A. Tagiyev stated that the group mainly controls how the demands of the Election Code are kept, observes announcements and propaganda materials in press. According to Tagiyev, foreign mass media and press representatives not petitioned to CEC are not entitled to partake in election campaign. /APA/

Elshan Manafli, secretary of the opposition left-wing Azerbaijani Social Democratic Party (ASDP), was dismissed from the organization.
“Manafli was dismissed from the ASDP at the decision of the Central Committee Plenum, because he opposed the party’s policy and tried to create split inside the party,” Araz Alizade, the co-chairman of the ASDP told Trend News on 8 September.
Alizade and Ayaz Mutallibov, ex-president of Azerbaijan, who at present lives in immigration, are co-chairmen of the left-wing opposition ASDP party.
Private meeting of the ASDP Central Committee was held on 6 September. Party’s interior issues were discussed at the meeting. Manafov, who is Mutallibov’s close supporter and blamed Alizade for his incapability to rule over the party, wad dismissed from the party. /Trend/

[he Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) will not examine appeal of candidates who did not give back signature lists in time.
“According to law, the deadline for submitting signature papers expired at 06:00p.m. 5 September. It was not CEC, but those not submitting signature lists in time who have violated law,” Azar Saryev, spokesman of CEC said to TrendNews on 6 September.
Sariyev said 21 people have been nominated for presidency and they have taken signature lists from CEC.
“Ilham Aliyev, candidate from New Azerbaijan Party, Igbal Agazade, chairman of Umid Party, Hafiz Hajiyev, chairman of Muasir Musavat party, Qudret Hasanguliyev, chairman of Unified Popular Front Party, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, chairman of Great Establishment Party, Mais Gulaliyev, chairman of Green Policy initiative group, poet Agaevli Ali Isa, Fuad Aliyev, chairman of Liberal Democrat Party and independent candidate Gulamhuseyn Alibayli have collected the necessary 40,000 signatures and submitted to CEC,” CEC representative said.
A total of seven candidates has not returned signature lists and four people have withdrew their candidacy.
Sariyev said candidacy of two of them has been canceled.
The unemployed Alimukhtar Akbarov gave back signature lists to CEC without any signatures. Teymur Guliyev, Fikrat Ahadov, Mubariz Allahverdiyev and Intigam Mammadov, who had been nominated independently, have withdrawn their candidacy.
Though Qudrat Isaqov, senior research fellow of Physics Institute of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (NASA) said to media he has withdrawn his candidacy, he has not made an official appeal to CEC. Therefore, his name is in the list of those who has not submitted signature lists. The unemployed Yashar Ahmadov, hospital attendant Sevinj Quliyeva, doctor Vugar Seyidov, editor-in-chief of Ekspertiza newspaper Suleyman Guliyev, unemployed Arif Aliyev, and Aliyev Sarafli, senior research fellow of Literary Institute of could not return signature lists in time. As Safarli and Aliyev brought signature lists to CEC after 06:00p.m., they were not accepted. /Trend/

316 polling stations will function in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) during the presidential elections, APA’s local bureau reports citing the Central Election Commission of NAR. 292 polling stations were established in 7 constituencies. 17 of them were created newly as the result of increasing amount of voters. According to CEC of Nakhchivan the voters’ lists were specified and ratified. The number of electors is 235.562 for August 2008. 6635 of them will vote for the first time. Meanwhile, on the Election Day all the constituencies will function in newly constructed buildings in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. /APA/

[he Azerbaijani authorities call the statements by some opposition parties to estimate the presidential elections as illegal and to consider the authorities to be formed after the elections as illegitimate, as imitation.
“Party, which does not participate in the elections, should be engaged in any activities. It is important for the party to have definite influence and social support in the society with this purpose. However, the opposition lacks of it. They lost their image by not joining the presidential elections and at preset they are engaged in imitation,” Ali Hasanov, the head of the Public and Political Department of the President’s Administration told Trend News on 8 September.
The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan on 15 October. The 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 elections as illegitimate on 5 September. Authorities, which will be formed after the presidential elections, are announced as illegitimate in the statement.
According to Hasanov, there is not any problem with candidate in the presidential elections. “Most part of political palette is represented in the elections. The elections will be held in transparent and struggle condition. Therefore, the opposition’s activity will influence neither positively nor negatively on society and this activity is insignificant for everybody,” he said. /Trend/

Verification of signatures presented by presidential candidates to CEC will be concluded till September 15, Ilham Mammadov, member of Working Group under CEC told APA.
To him, signatures of two candidates have been checked up by now and their candidacy has been approved. The work on verification of signatures of four candidates and other election documents is due to over and work on other four candidates is under way. Officials of Justice Ministry Court Examination Center and specialists of Interior Ministry Passport Registration Department participate in checking up process. Surveys on property of candidate and debts to the state are sent to Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Taxes, Real Estate State Register Service, State Committee for Property Management and Traffic Police Department and correctness of information presented by candidate is verified. Mammadov added that there was forging of signatures as well.
“It is impossible to speak about ideality of signatures. Main shortage is signature of several electors instead of one voter, signatures of electors under 18, incorrect registration of numbers on identity cards”, he said. /APA/

Azerbaijan’s opposition parties which boycott the elections process in the country called the upcoming presidential elections illegal.
On 5 September, bloc Azadlig, Musavat party and the Forum For Azerbaijan signed a joint statement recognizing the elections and the power which will come after the elections as illegal.
The statement is logic continuation of boycotting, leader of the National Unity Movement Lala Shovkat said after the signing ceremony.
According to chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Ali Karimli, the new cooperation format is open for other political forces. The parties intend to hold joint protest, he said.
“There is a great hope that the cooperation will be successful,” head of the Musavat party Isa Gambar said.
President of the Forum For Azerbaijan Eldar Namazov said the new union intends to achieve establishment of democratic system in Azerbaijan.
Bloc Azadlig unites the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Citizen and Development Party, Liberal Party. /Trend/

Activity of the opposition Democratic Elections Centre (DEC) in Azerbaijan was suspended temporarily.
This decision was made at the next meeting of the DEC, Mirmahmud Miralioglu, the chairman of the Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (CPFPA) told Trend News on 5 September.
Nine parties, including the CPFPA, the Azadlig Party, the National Democratic Party, the Open Society Party, the Great Azerbaijan Party, the Unified Popular Front party of Azerbaijan, the Takamul Party, the Greens Party and the Great Establishment Party are represented at the DEC established in January.
“The Centre suspended its activity temporarily in connection with the presidential elections. It will not function by the end of the presidential election,” Miralioglu said.
According to Miralioglu, the format of the DEC was not changed. “Change of format was not on the agenda,” he said. /Trend/

Some Azerbaijani opposition parties refused to join to the opposition’s joint statement.
The Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan and the Open Society Party did not join the opposition parties’ joint statement boycotting the presidential elections, Ali Karimli, the co-chairman of Azadlig bloc and the chairman of the National Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) told journalists on 5 September.
Karimli said that negotiations were held with these parties. “Technical problems aroused at the Open Society Party to make a decision, but they expressed their agreement with this statement. The document was also coordinated with Mirmahmud Miralioglu, the chairman of the CPFPA. The Union For Democracy, where the CPFPA is included, put forward terms, that if all parties represented at the Union join the statement, the CPFPA can sign this document,” Karimli said.
The CPFPA agrees with principles of the statement, Miralioglu, the chairman of the CPFPA told Trend News on 5 September.
“The Union For Democracy believes that it would be more real if all parties of the Union sign the joint statement. Thus Azadlig bloc joined the statement with all three parties, which are represented at the organization. If all four parties represented at the Union (the CPFPA, the Azadlig Party, the Great Azerbaijan Party and the National Democratic Party) do not decide to join the statement, the CPFPA will not join the document, as well,” Miralioglu said. /Trend/

Ruling New Azerbaijan Party of Azerbaijan (NAP) has announced that opposition parties not taking part in presidential elections do not have a right to assess the outcome of the vote.
“Opposition parties not taking part in the elections have either lost their electorate or they are not pleased with the rules that everybody accepts,” Aydin Mirzazade, member of Political Council of NAP said to TrendNews on 5 September.
“The election which lacks free competition conditions and boycotted by major presidential candidates can not be considered legitimate,” a statement said. The document also said pre-election situation in the country does not allow conducting free and fair elections. Political activity is too weak. Many obstacles are created for political parties. Freedom of assembly is almost banned.
Representative of ruling party said political forces not going to take part in the elections does not have any moral right to assess outcome of the vote.
“This is unreasonable and contradicts moral principles. It contradicts political rules to assess outcome of the vote when it has not been held yet”.
He said it is common knowledge that parties boycotting elections does not have public support and they are obliged to boycott elections as they know they will lose it.
MP added presidential election have not started yet, only part of the process has bee completed. “Neither local nor foreign observers have disagreements about elections in this stage. Anyone wishing to take part in the elections has been nominated. No problems emerged in registration of candidates and sign-collection process. Presidential elections will be seriously observed,” Mirzazade said.
He said political forces left aside focus of attention try to prove their existence by boycotting elections and signing statement. But public is not interested in what they are saying.
Representative of ruling party said there have always been contradictions between statement signing parties. Mirzazade said after some time one of the parties will gain certain political dividend and will accuse others and stop cooperation as before.
He said the joint statement by opposition will not have any impact on assessment of elections by international organizations. /Trend/