BAKU: Karabakh Armenians to be Able to Participate in ParliamentElec

Karabakh Armenians to be Able to Participate in Parliament Elections through Internet

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 17 2005

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan, guided by the
basic provisions of the country’s Constitution took a decision to form
the constituency electoral committee, covering the occupied territories
of the country, CEC chairman Mazahir Panahov said, Trend reports.

“The constituencies have already been set up long time ago, however,
the issue with this constituency remained open,” Panahov said, noting
due to ongoing peace negotiations the Azerbaijan’s CEC has not even
made attempts to establish such committees earlier. “We hoped for
the quickest settlement of the conflict. However, taking into account
the opinion of the Azerbaijani public, the decision was taken to set
up the constituency electoral committee centered on in Khankendi,”
Panahov said. He noted there were no disagreements on the issue among
the CEC members.

“We will do everything possible for the activities of this
constituency,” the CEC head noted, having not ruled out the
possibility of taking measures, “not envisioned by the legislation
for other constituencies”, particularly, voting by means of Internet.
The address of the website is not announced yet.

Touching upon the issue of the constituency committee’s location,
Panahov noted, members of the constituency committees have already
held first sittings and the issue of their placing will be decided
at their level.

“The chairman and the secretary of the constituency committee in
Khankendi have already been elected,” Panahov said, having noted,
the detailed information on the issue will come to CEC of Azerbaijan
shortly.

In conclusion, the CEC chairman voiced the opinion on nomination
candidacies on these electoral constituencies. “Due to non-availability
of this constituency electoral committees the candidates applied
earlier directly to CEC of Azerbaijan. However, after creating such
committees all applications will be sent directly to these structures,”
Panahov noted, According to him, the process of registration of
candidates on these constituencies will start soon.