Azerbaijan’s Elections: Problems and Progress

The November 6 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan have been met with widespread international disapproval, namely from the main international group that monitored the elections.  Others have pointed out that progress is being made, especially when this election is compared to previous elections.

“While there were improvements in some respects during the pre-election period, notably in the registration of candidates, uncertainty was evident with regard to key aspects of the process such as voter registration, and continued restrictions on the freedom of assembly, a fundamental right, marred the campaign period,” the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said in a statement. “While voting was generally calm, the election day process deteriorated progressively during the counting and, in particular, the tabulation of the votes.”

On election day, the OSCE assessed voting at 13 percent of polling stations as having irregularities. The observations included “attempts to influence voter choices, unauthorized persons interfering in or directing the process and cases of ballot box stuffing.” The OSCE also assessed the ballot counting process as “bad or very bad” in 43 percent of counts observed, and observed tampering with results protocols, intimidation of observers, and the interference in the process by unauthorized individuals.

"At times, civil and political rights were infringed upon, and there was harassment and intimidation of some candidates and their supporters,” the OSCE said. “The complaints and appeals process overall did not provide redress for these shortcomings.”

U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said elections did not meet a number of international standards. “…There were major irregularities and fraud that are of serious concern,” Ereli said at a press briefing on Nov 7. “We will urge the government of Azerbaijan to take immediate investigations into these irregularities and fraud consistent with Azerbaijan's laws, institutions and election legislation. We will also make the point that all protests and demonstrations need to be peaceful, legal. All parties should refrain from violence.” Ereli added, however, that the parliamentary elections were an improvement in some areas when compared to other elections. Vladimir Socor, reporting for the Jamestown Foundation, states, “No Muslim nation, save Turkey (after decades of reforms there) has experienced the degree of political openness that Azerbaijan experienced in this parliamentary election campaign in terms of multiplicity of candidacies (baffling not only to outsiders), media access and coverage (oversaturation), precautions against multiple voting (somewhat late but generally effective), massive internal monitoring by opposition and NGOs, detailed international scrutiny, and immediate reporting of returns (television channels reporting the returns, and the challenges to the returns, hour after hour on election night and the day after).” Socor further notes that the Azerbaijani Central Electoral Commission admitted to “problems” in ten electoral districts, annulling the results of three (as of November 9th) and ordering recounts in two, with a high probability of further action as investigations proceed.