NOVEMBER ELECTIONS WILL BE A TEST CASE FOR AZERBAIJAN, SAYS PACE PRESIDENT

Caucaz.com, Georgia
Aug 25 2005

Strasbourg, August 25 – Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
President (PACE) Rene van der Linden yesterday, on August 24, completed
his visit to Azerbaijan and with it his week-long visit to the South
Caucasus.

In Azerbaijan he discussed principally the issues of the November
Parliamentary elections, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and political
prisoners, with a range of actors including President Aliyev, the
Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Internal
and Foreign Affairs, governmental, independent and opposition members
of parliament, NGO and media representatives, and the leaders of the
Muslim, orthodox and Jewish religious communities.

The President stressed that the November elections would be a test
case for Azerbaijan and an important opportunity for the international
community to see that the government was doing its utmost to ensure
free and fair elections. He mentioned a few of the basic issues; these
included a full investigation into electoral fraud committed during
the 2003 elections. The President was reassured by President Aliyev’s
promise that this process would be completed by November. NGOs should
not be prevented from monitoring the elections only because of foreign
funding, provided their finances were transparent.

The President noted the importance of election monitoring and reminded
the authorities that in January the Assembly would consider the report
of its own 40 strong election observation mission. The authorities
should reinforce and guarantee media independence and pluralism,
including by bringing the capital’s public television station into
operation. The President was glad to hear from President Aliyev that
this would take place in the immediate future. The President urged
all political parties to approach the elections in a positive and
constructive spirit of democracy.

The President considered that the issues of political prisoners and
the murder of Elmar Huseynov, were also important for the elections.
He called on the authorities to take all the necessary action to
ensure that neither the opposition nor the media would continue to
feel at risk as a result of their lawful and democratic activities.
The Council of Europe did not favour parties or individuals, but was
interested only in the democratic process.

In addition, the President was particularly concerned about the issue
of Nagorno-Karabakh which he had discussed in detail with those he
met previously in Armenia. The Council of Europe was a value community
and would work for a peaceful settlement through impartial political
pressure and encouragement.

The President warmly welcomed the ongoing Presidential negotiations,
whilst stressing that although there could be conditions to a peaceful
settlement, there should be no pre-conditions on negotiations for
peace.

In all three countries, the President had met religious leaders and
noted with great satisfaction the active and positive role they had
played together in the reconciliation process. There would be no
sustainable development or prosperity and no future for the region’s
children without a peaceful settlement; all those involved had a
strong interest in peace.

At this important time for Azerbaijan, the President was careful to
stress that the Council of Europe did not want to punish Azerbaijan
for its problems, but to accompany and assist it along the same
European road. Press release selected from Council of Europe website
by Celia CHAUFFOUR.