VZCZCXRO6159
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKB #0985/01 2891223
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151223Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0194
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES  PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3088
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1151

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000985 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SITREP#2 16:00 
BAKU 
 
REF: BAKU 981 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  During the late morning and afternoon, voting in 
Azerbaijan's presidential election continued relatively 
smoothly.  Election monitors from the U.S. Embassy, spread 
throughout the country in 19 separate teams, are reporting 
that most polling stations are well-organized and the polling 
station workers seem familiar with their roles and 
responsibilities.  Monitoring teams report turnout being 
close to 50% in most polling stations by early afternoon; 
this is higher than many pre-election observers expected. 
While the day has been declared a national holiday, teams 
report that the majority of voters have been women thus far, 
and the expectation is that men will vote after working 
hours.  Polling stations are scheduled to close at 19:00; 
counting of ballots should begin immediately afterwards. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Embassy teams have noted a number of small 
problems in some polling stations.  In several cases, polling 
stations have not been well managed, and this has led on 
occasion to overcrowding and problems with checking the names 
and credentials of voters.  There is also consistent 
misunderstanding of when and how voters' fingers should be 
inked, including problems with inking the wrong finger, 
forgetting to ink entirely, and forgetting to check if the 
finger has already been inked.  Family voting has occured in 
a number of instances, but usually the precinct election 
commissions stop this behavior.  In two instances monitors 
have seen evidence of tampering with ballot boxes.  Monitors 
have also heard reports of employers forcing employees to 
vote, including metro workers in Baku having their labor 
books confiscated until they voted and others asking for 
precinct chairman signatures on voter invitations to prove 
that they had voted.  One monitor in Guba also reported that 
unidentifiable people were located outside of a polling 
station and checking off names on an unoffical copy of the 
voter list and reporting info by telephone to undisclosed 
parties. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Embassy monitors have found domestic monitors in 
every polling station visited.  On average there seem to be 8 
to 10 monitors at each polling station.  The overwhelming 
majority of these monitors are party observers affiliated 
with the ruling party- the Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP). 
Embassy monitors have found observers from the Election 
Monitoring Center (EMC) at their assigned polling stations, 
although these observers are not openly displaying their 
affiliation with the de-registered organization, per their 
instructions (ref A).  There are no reports of domestic 
monitors experiencing problems gaining access to polling 
stations.  Outside polling stations, Embassy monitors have 
witnessed representatives from all three government sponsored 
NGOs conducting exit polls.  In some instances, Embassy 
monitors witnessed all three organizations conducting exit 
polls at the same polling station, leading to some 
questionable data collection practices. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Ambassador attended an open house at EMC's 
Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) Data Collection Center, which 
is operating with assistance from the National Democratic 
Institute (NDI).  EMC and NDI leadership informed the 
Ambassador that EMC's PVT is on track for completion. 
Results of EMC's surveys and collection efforts are being 
compiled; PVT numbers should be available tomorrow morning, 
Baku time.  EMC's nationwide efforts are proceeding well. 
However, NDI's Washington-based PVT expert Richard Klein 
noted that EMC has experienced serious problems in Baku and 
Khachmaz.  In Baku, 40% of EMC's observers, mostly university 
students, withdrew from participation yesterday evening. 
Remaining observers were rapidly re-assigned, however, to 
cover the most important locations for the PVT.  In Khachmaz 
-- a small town in the north -- the problem is more accute, 
as the Regional Coordination and 4 of the 7 District 
Coordinators withdrew their participation, thus possibly 
jeopardizing the PVT in this region.  The Swedish and 
Norwegian Ambassadors to Baku also visited the EMC PVT 
Center; other international visitors are expected.  The 
Ambassador, with credentials, also visited four polling 
stations near the Embassy in Baku. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The Embassy continues to be in contact with the 
Central Eleciton Commission, which has been keen to learn of 
voting irregularities.  Additionally, legal advisors at the 
Presidential Apparat have contacted the Embassy to ask about 
 
BAKU 00000985  002 OF 002 
 
 
observers' experiences.  In several cases, there is evidence 
that the GOAJ has taken action to address problems. 
DERSE