The National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) of Azerbaijan has clarified its position on tele-debate of presidential candidates.
“Tele-debates are not political propaganda materials, TV channels must have their own programs and this must be free of charge,” Nushiravan Maharramli, chairman of NTRC said to media.
Maharramli said it would be better if discussions on political propaganda and talk shows will be carried out within the programs of TV channels and radio stations.
“These materials can be used not as a political propaganda, but just to inform population. Because, this is not included in legal requirements for advertisements,” he added.
The TV channels themselves will determine the price for propaganda of presidential candidates, he said.
“The article of the Election Code on equal conditions for all candidates should be given priority,” Maharramli said.
The air time allotted for candidates will be distributed among them. The way the candidates will use this air time depends on candidates themselves,” NTRC chairman said.

The opposition Azadliq bloc of opposition parties of Azerbaijan has announced that it will not be close down.
“No party can demand us to suspend activities of Azadliq bloc,” Ali Aliyev, co-chairman of Azadlig bloc and chairman of Citizens and Development Party said to TrendNews.
“The establishment of new union does not mean the end of Azadliq bloc. When we initiated to establish a new union, our first condition was continuation of activities of Azadlig bloc. Because Azadlig bloc has went through thick and thin. Therefore, we are not going to conduct new experiments in this sphere,” Aliyev added.
According to him, there are allied relations among parties included in Azadlig bloc. Aliyev said it is impossible to speak about the establishment of such relations between parties of the new union. /Trend/

The further activity and form of cooperation amongst members of alliance will be specified after signing of the document to create a new union of opposition parties. “Measures will be taken to develop cooperation in opposition after signing of the document,” Isa Gambar, Head of the opposition Musavat party, told Trend News.
Several parties are expected to sign a document this week. The National Independent Party of Azerbaijan (ANIP), Democratic, Open Society and Classical Popular Front refused to participate in the upcoming presidential elections and stated that they would not join the deal.
“The parties, which are united in the cooperation centre, will sign a document, which will recognize illegitimacy of presidential elections. The document states the illegitimacy of the elections. The document is ready to be signed,” Gambar said.
The consultations with parties are being held. “The parties which will sign the document will be known after the consultations.
According to Mubariz Gurbanli, Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), establishment of a new opposition coalition will not have results. Recognition or non-recognition of presidential elections results does not depend on the statements by some opposition parties. /Trend/

Musavat party who has a right to take part in forming of election commissions in Azerbaijan will not change its position and will not send representatives to the election commissions.
“We demand commissions to be set up on equal basis between government and opposition which is also supported by international organizations as well. Musavat will not be represented in the commissions until government accepts these changes,” Isa Gambar, chairman of opposition Musavat party said to TrendNews.
According to Election Code, the composition of election commissions is set up by the members of majority party (NAP), minority parties in the parliament and neutral MPs. The elections commissions have not been set up yet as the opposition Musavat party has not sent its representatives to the Central Election Commission. Therefore, the representatives of other minority parties have not taken part in setting up election commissions.
After two years of interval, the minority parties in the parliament were enabled to send representatives to the election commissions. The minority pro-opposition Civil Solidarity Party has sent 42 representatives to the election commissions.
Gambar said election commissions function under the control of ruling party in no country all over the world. /Trend/

Nakhchivan’s 1st Sharur-Sadarak Election Constituency got a new three-storey building with 13 working rooms where all necessary conditions were created for deputy assistants and observers, Central Election Commission of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic told APA local bureau. The building was furnished with the necessary technical equipments, transparent ballot boxes, finger ink and detectors. There is 108-seat assembly hall in the building.
All six election constituencies in the Nakhchivan’s regions were provided with new modern administrative buildings. 4th Nakhchivan City Election Constituency will also get new building later this month.
There are seven election constituencies with 275 poll stations in the Autonomous Republic.

On the eve of the presidential elections, the Election Headquarters of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) held trainings for observers in 12 regional centers of Azerbaijan. The representatives from neighboring regions also participated in the trainings held in Ismayilli, Goychay, Gakh, Gabal, Mingachevir, Ganja, Shirvan, Saatli, Salyan, Lenkaran, Khachmaz and Guba regions. 2400 copies of the book “The Monitoring of the Presidential Elections-2008. Memory Book” were distributed among the observers.
In line with the trainings, the attestation of 49 regional coordinators was realized too.
ACSDA EH petitioned the Central Election Commission (CEC) for solving some problems arising in several constituencies related to the registration of observers.
The Election Headquarters expands its activity according to the working plan on the eve of the presidential elections.

Former Chairman of Supreme Assembly of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, presidential candidate Gulamhuseyn Alibayli has finished signature collection campaign. Alibayli told APA about it. He said that members of his election office collected signatures in various regions of Azerbaijan and the campaign finished.
“We will review the signatures within a day or two. Approximately 45,000 signatures have been collected. Of course we will remove some of them,” he said.
Gulamhuseyn Alibayli said the signatures would be submitted to the Central Election Commission not later than September 5. /APA/

Signature sheets of Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party and presidential candidate have been submitted to Central Election Commission (CEC). The party told APA that 44190 signatures had been submitted to CEC.
Signature collection campaign covered the majority of election constituencies.
Candidacy of Ilham Aliyev and Igbal Agazadeh has been officially registered. /APA/

The Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (WAPFP) and United Azerbaijan National Unity Party (UANUP) will issue a cooperation deal on September 10, APA reports. WAPFP chairman Gudrat Hasanguliyev and UANUP chairman Hajibaba Azimov reached agreement after discussions. According to the mutual agreement the UANUP will support the candidacy of Gudrat Hasanguliyev during the forthcoming presidential elections. /APA/

The time allotted for putting forward candidacy in the presidential elections to be held on October 15 will expire on September 5. Press Service of Central Election Commission (CEC) told APA that according to article 58.1 of the Electoral Code, admission of the candidates’ documents began on August 11 and according to article 94.3.1 of the Electoral Code admission of the election documents necessary for registration of candidacy will be over at 18.00 on September 5.

CEC has asserted candidacy of 20 men so far and they have been given signature sheets. Only 5 candidates have given back the signature sheets, candidacy of two of them Ilham Aliyev and Igbal Agazadeh have been registered. /APA/

Chairman of Great Establishment Party, presidential candidate Fazil Gazanfaroglu presented signature sheets to the Central Election Commission (CEC). The party told APA that 881 out of 1000 signatures taken from CEC had been filled. The number of signatures was 44,044. Signature collection campaign covered 91 election constituencies. /APA/

The observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will visit Azerbaijan to get familiarized with the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan on 16-18 September.
“The PACE mission visiting Azerbaijan will be comprised of five experts,” permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe, Arif Mammadov, told TrendNews by telephone from Strasburg on 1 September.
Mammadov said that the PACE observers will meet with the CEC Head, political parties and NGOs. /Trend/