VZCZCXRO8383
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHKB #0924/01 3291149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251149Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2085
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1528
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3685

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000924 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, DRL 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: VIOLATIONS REPORTED IN MUNICIPAL ELECTION REGISTRATION 
 
REF: BAKU 813 
 
BAKU 00000924  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Major opposition parties Umid ("Hope") and Musavat 
("Equality") reported to Embassy officials a number of violations of 
election procedures in the registration process for the December 23 
municipal elections, including pressure on their candidates.  These 
parties have also filed official complaints with the Central 
Election Commission (CEC), although the CEC investigations have so 
far found all complaints groundless.  The parties have threatened to 
boycott the election if their complaints are not resolved properly. 
Embassy officials raised some of these cases with the CEC, and 
received promises that the CEC would look into them.  The Embassy 
will continue to closely observe the entire electoral process, 
although interest in these elections among the Azerbaijani 
population remains low (reftel). 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Musavat party, traditionally the largest opposition 
party, has filed more than one hundred complaints with the CEC 
related to the pre-election campaign and the process of registration 
of nominees.  The party claims that it was not given an opportunity 
to hold their organizational meetings and conduct pre-election 
activities.  For example, a small meeting held in the open area in 
Barda region in October was interrupted by the local authorities and 
police.  Musavat claims that local executive authorities (ExComs) 
continue to interfere in activities of election commissions and use 
different measures to prevent the nominees from opposition parties 
from running for the municipal election.  Musavat says that in 
Beylagan region ten nominees from Musavat party were forced to 
withdraw their candidacy though they had initially been registered 
by Beylagan Constituency Election Commission (ConEC) #81 and 
approved as candidates for the municipal elections.   In addition, 
Musavat claims that two nominees of Musavat party from Fizuli 
ConEC#84 were threatened by dismissal from their jobs at public 
schools by the senior officer of Fizuli District Education 
Department. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a November 13 meeting with MP Igbal Aghazade, Chairman 
of Umid party, he noted that the nominees from their party already 
registered with the ConECs as a candidate had faced with serious 
threats and pressures by local executive authorities in all regions 
of the country.  He explained that officials from ExComs or local 
police visited candidates' houses and threatened them with arrest or 
other punishment if they did not withdraw their candidacies.  For 
example, though 100 nominees nominated for 27 municipal units in 
Zardab region had been registered by the ConEC#82, on November 11, 
92 of them withdrew their candidacies. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The authorized representatives of Musavat and Umid parties 
filed complaints with the CEC in relation to these incidents as well 
as several bureaucratic obstacles created by the Constituency 
Election Commissions (ConECs).  The Chairman of Zagatala ConEC#110 
requested additional documents from the candidates nominated by 
Musavat, Popular Front and Umid parties, apart from those required 
by the Election Code. 
 
¶5. (SBU) PolOff raised these concerns with the CEC's Head of 
International Relations Rovzat Gasimov.  Gasimov stated that the CEC 
has established expert groups, consisting of CEC members and staff 
of the Commission to investigate and to ensure the fair, efficient 
and timely adjudication of complaints and appeals filed to protect 
electoral rights.  So far, all of the complaints and appeals 
submitted by Musavat and Umid parties have been considered to be 
groundless.  Gasimov promised to look into the specific cases raised 
by PolOff.  Gasimov also stated that the ConECs had been instructed 
to be liberal in allowing candidates to register, to the point of 
ignoring irregularities in the signatures collected for nominations. 
 The following day, Gasimov reported that the 92 candidates in 
Zardab region had not withdrawn their candidacy, but had refused to 
be listed as candidates from the Umid Party.  Gasimov stated that 
this was due to lack of payment from Umid, and not due to pressure 
from ExComs who could have prevented their registration if they 
wanted to do so. 
 
¶6. (SBU) According to statistical information published by the CEC 
on November 24, so far 31,861 candidates have been registered, 
including 17,688 from ruling New Azerbaijan, 292 from pro-government 
Ana Vatan ("Motherland"), 306 from Civil Solidarity, 348 from Umid, 
38 from Azerbaijan Popular Party, 130 from Musavat parties.  By law 
these should be the final tallies of candidates. 
 
Comment 
-------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) As a result of the violations and obstacles, major 
opposition parties Musavat and Umid announced that they may boycott 
the municipal elections.  Arif Hajili, Deputy Chairman of Musavat 
party, said that the government of Azerbaijan is trying to avoid any 
 
BAKU 00000924  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
pre-election activity, including, debates, public gatherings, and 
free speeches on public TV.  MP Igbal Aghazade said that Umid party 
would boycott the elections unless the CEC investigates their 
complaints fairly and ensure free and equal opportunity for all 
parties.  The Embassy will continue to observe pre-election and 
election processes, although interest in these elections among the 
general public remains low.