The time allotted for signature collection campaign of the presidential candidates has expired today. Press service of Central Election Commission (CEC) told APA that the candidates had presented the signatures by 18.00 pm. CEC will check the voters’ signatures and pass decision whether to register their candidacy or not.
The candidacy of President Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of Umid Party Igbal Agazadeh has been registered so far. /APA/

Azerbaijan Democrat Party changed decision to observe presidential elections, to be held on October 15, the Party chairman Serdar Jalaloglu told the APA. According to Jalaloglu, the Party worked hard on preparation of observing this process till the elections were declared. The Party also participated in the trainings together with US International Republicans Institute. “Why should we observe the elections if don’t participate in it?” Jalaloglu stated. Meanwhile, other parties intend to observe the elections notwithstanding their boycotting.

Central Election Commission (CEC) has held next meeting today, APA reports.
The meeting considered appeal of Intigam Mammadov, official of Express newspaper, who nominated for Presidency on October 15. After approval of his nomination, Press Group on control of promotion campaign in media during presidential elections was established under CEC.
CEC Secretary Natig Mammadov noted that CEC members Azer Tagiyev, Almas Gahramanova, Fuad Javadov, CEC Press Service, AzTV, ANS, Space, Lider, ITV, AzerTAc, APA, Olaylar, Turan, Yeni Musavat 525-ci qezet and Azerbaijan would be represented in the body.
Compositions of several ConECs have been changed during the meeting. /APA/

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an election observation mission to observe presidential election in Azerbaijan.
The mission’s Baku headquarter has been opened on Thursday. The mission headed by Ambassador Boris Frlec of Slovenia includes 12 core team members and 28 long-term observers from 23 OSCE participating States. The election observation mission will be joined by approximately 450 short-term observers shortly before election day.
Boris Frlec said the mission has already held meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and central Election Commission. Members of the mission intend to meet with the candidates and public figures as well. The election observation mission will make its first report third week of September and next report early October. Boris Frlec said one of the important aspects in current phase was monitoring of press. “Our duty is monitoring, but not interference. We are only monitoring and making reports and recommendations. We don’t make conclusion on the legitimacy of election. OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will make its opinion together with its partners from PACE next day after the election. The mission will end its activity later October and will make final report two months later”. /APA/

Four of the presidential candidates have withdrawn their candidacy, Secretary of Central Election Commission (CEC) Natig Mammadov said today at the meeting, APA reports. He said that advisor of Medeniyyet newspaper Teymur Guliyev, collaborator of Express newspaper Intigam Mammadov, department chief of scientific-methodic journal of Education Fikrat Ahadov and PHD on Physics Gudrat Isagov appealed to CEC to withdraw their candidacies.
According to Mammadov, Guliyev explained withdrawal of his candidature with the current situation in South Caucasus and Fikrat Ahadov and Intigam Mammadov said that they could not gather required 40 signatures to register his candidature. Another candidate stated that he decided to withdraw his candidacy in the favour of current president Ilham Aliyev.
CEC passed a decision to cancel their candidacy after considering their applications. /APA/

Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli, who nominated for the presidential elections, completed signature collecting campaign.
“On Friday we will present the signatures to the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan,” Gorhmaz Ibrahimli, Head of the Election Office of the former Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the oppositional Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli, told TrendNews on 4 September. Ibrahimli said that they collected nearly 50,000 signatures. “Currently we verify the collected signatures and will complete it tomorrow. The signatures were collected in all regions of Azerbaijan,” Ibrahimli said. /Trend/

On September 5, the members of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) met with the officials of Council of Europe Azerbaijan office.
The head of the ACSDA EH Maharram Zulfugarli gave broad information about ACSDA’s activity on the sphere of civil society development, and the works realized by EH. He also talked about expansion their cooperation with local offices of several international organizations including OSCE, IFES, US International Republicans Institute, US Counterpart Organization and Eurasia Cooperation Foundation. He stated that they intend to expand relations with CE Baku office too. Zulfugarli informed the CE officials about the election enlightenment, monitoring of the elections, exit poll and quick count operations to be realized by the ACSDA EH. M. Zulfugarli stated that the Association held trainings for election observers in Ismayilli, Goychay, Gakh, Gabala, Shirvan, Saatli, Salyan, Khachnaz, Guba, Goychay, Mingachevir and Ganja from August 15 through September 2. He also informed the attendees of the distribution of “The Monitoring of Presidential Elections – 2008 Memory Booklet” among observers. Besides, ACSDA plans to hold exit-poll and quick-count on Election Day.
Elvin Mammadov, the assistant on election of CE Azerbaijan office, gave information about measures taken related to the forthcoming presidential elections. According to him, a delegation consisting of 5 officials from Council of Europe is expected to come to Azerbaijan on September 15. Besides, a watchdog group including 30 observers will visit Azerbaijan on the eve of the presidential elections.
At the end of the event the parties came to an agreement on organizing meeting of ACSDA representatives and CE officials who will come to Azerbaijan. ACSDA also sent a letter to CE Secretary General’s special envoy Veronica Cotec concerning the matter.

Azerbaijan Press Council (PC) summed up the monitoring, held in July-August to define general tendencies in press, APA reports citing the PC. According to the given information, the number of materials published in the monitored mass media diminished and it attains a seasonal character. Some total 73343 materials were published in the newspapers, monitored in July-August. The number of religious materials (3304) prevailed in comparison with early 2008. Quoting a secret source or absence of source decreased as compared with May-June. /APA/

The Central Election Commission finished sending invitations to the international organizations for observation of presidential elections in Azerbaijan on October 15. Chief of CEC Foreign Relations Department Rovzat Gasimov told APA part of international organizations have replied invitations. OSCE, CIS, the Council of Europe and other organizations will send observation missions. “OSCE long-term observation mission has already arrived in Baku and started its activity. Probably other international organizations will also send their long-term missions. Azerbaijan will create all opportunities for their observation”. Gasimov said Azerbaijan’s CEC would invite central election commissions of other countries it cooperated with. “We talked with a number of central election commissions and agreed this issue. We will send official invitations in the next few days”. Gasimov said no international observers have registered in CEC yet. He said registration of international observers would be completed 10 days before the elections. /APA/

The observation mission of Council of Europe (CE) who will observe upcoming presidential vote in Azerbaijan, will visit Baku on 15 September, Veronika Kotek, head of Council of Europe office in Baku said to media.
CE mission will be led by the co-reporter of the Parliament Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) on Azerbaijan Andreas Herkel.
Short-term monitoring group of CE will arrive in Baku several days before elections fixed at 15 October.
The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan has confirmed the nomination of 20 presidential contenders. The nomination of only two of them has been officially registered. /Trend/

All conditions have been provided in Azerbaijan for the conduct of free and fair elections, Elmar Mammadyarov, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan said during his meeting with Boris Firlec, head of observation mission of OSCE for presidential elections in Azerbaijan.
Minister stressed the importance of Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation in this field.
Minister also said Azerbaijan, which is in the process of democracy building, is committed to the international obligations and democratic values.
Firlec, who has observed parliamentary elections in Georgia and Armenia, said he has a relevant experience in this sphere. He spoke about the functions of observation mission and plans concerning upcoming presidential elections. The chief goal of observation is to help conduct democratic elections, he said. Firlec noted OSCE group of observers will inform public about their activities.

The Azerbaijani ELS Independent Investigation Centre publicized results of opinion poll held amongst 6,000 people in the first half of August in connection with the presidential elections. A total of 78.3% of people participating in this opinion poll supported Ilham Aliyev, the Centre told Trend news on 2 September.
A total of 0.1% of them supported Igbal Agayev, 0.5% – other candidates, whilst 11.3% of them refused to name of their favorite presidential candidate and 9.8% stated they are still to determine their opinion on the presidential contenders.
Respondents were also asked to name the candidate whom they wanted to see in the upcoming presidential race, as there is still opportunity to nominate candidature. Some 2.8% of respondents mentioned Isa Gambar, 1.5% - Ganira Pashayeva, 1.2% - Lala Shovkat Hajiyeva, 1.0% Vafa Guluzade and other persons.
Assessing social and political situation in Azerbaijan majority of respondents (91.7%) mentioned the presence of stable social and political situation in the country. Only 5.9% of them considered the current situation as unstable and 2.4% could not assess the situation.
A total of 88.9% of the inquired said that they would participate in the elections, 5.0% said no to polls and 6.1% avoided to state opinion in this respect as it is still to be shaped.
In response to question “Do you believe that the elections will be held fairly?” 70.9% of respondents expressed their faith, 20.9% - doubt and 9.1% found it difficult to answer. /Trend/