Approved by Decision
6/23-6
dated on July 4, 2008 of the
Central Election Commission
of the Republic of Azerbaijan
I N S T R U C T I O N
on rules for collecting and submitting voters signatures in support of the candidate to presidency and registration of the candidate during Presidential Elections of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Rules for collecting voters signatures in support of the approved candidate to presidency, submitting signature sheets and other election documents to the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CEC) and registration of the candidate are regulated by Articles 56-58, 60, 181 and 182 of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as Election Code) and this Instruction.
1. Collecting voters signatures in support of the candidate in Presidential Elections
1.1. Collecting voters signatures in support of the candidate to presidency nominated by voter initiative groups or on their own initiative commences since providing the person who submitted the documents with the decision approving the nomination of the candidate to presidency by the CEC.
1.2. At least 50 signatures must be collected from the territory of each constituency not less than 60 and in general not less than 40 thousands in support of the candidate to presidency.
1.3. Signature sheets shall be prepared by the Central Election Commission in the form defined by the Appendices 2 and 2”A” made to the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
1.4. State bodies, municipalities, legal entities regardless their property form are not allowed to participate in collection of signatures. In the process of collecting signatures to make voters sign, to prevent to sign, or to reward them for this shall be prohibited. If not observing to this ban can be approved by the court, this can be basis for regarding the collected signatures invalid and refusal from registration of the candidate.
1.5. Each citizen aged 18 with equal suffrage of the Republic of Azerbaijan, candidate himself/herself, authorized representatives are allowed to collect voters signatures. The candidate, political parties, blocs of political parties are allowed to sign an agreement on collecting signatures with the person collecting voters signatures. The payment for this can be paid only from election fund of the candidate.
1.6. Voters signatures can be collected in educational institutions, settlements, as well as in other places where the conduct of pre-election campaign is not prohibited by the law.
1.7. A citizen having active suffrage of the Republic of Azerbaijan shall enjoy the right put his/her signature on signature sheet in support of the candidate. One voter is allowed to put his signature in support of one candidate only.
1.8. All information about the voter included in the signature sheet should be indicated the relevant columns.
1.9. When putting his signature on the signature sheet a voter indicates his surname, name, patronymic, date of birth, address of residence, serial number of ID card or document that substitutes it, its date of submission, date of signature. The person collecting signatures can complete the information about the voter on the signature sheet instead of him/her only by his/her consent. But the right to sign shall be vested only in the voter. The above-mentioned information should be written by hand and ensured not to be disseminated.
1.10. The list of the documents that approve the identity of the voters who signed in support of the candidate to presidency was reflected in the relevant list approved by CEC.
1.11. To put signature in support of the candidate to presidency is voluntary. To make the voter sign by any means (using physical or psychological force, to make voters to sign by using such force, to prevent them from voting or reward them in any form for this and so on) shall be strictly prohibited and such behavior imposes liability specified by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
1.12. Name and number of the constituency (election area) where voters signatures are collected must be indicated on upper left side of each signature sheet by the person collecting signatures.
1.13. After collecting signatures signature sheet shall be signed by the person collecting signatures and the candidate. Before signing the signature sheet the person collecting signatures indicates surname, name, patronymic name, address of residence, serial number of ID cards or document that substitutes it, date of issue.
1.14. In the case of nominating the candidate by political parties, blocs of political parties, the signature sheet shall be signed by the person collecting signatures and the authorized representatives of political parties, blocs of political parties after collecting signatures. Before putting signature on the signature sheet the person collecting signatures first indicates his/her surname, name, patronymic name, address of residence, serial number of ID card or the document that substitutes it, date of issue, but the authorized representative indicates his/her surname, name, patronymic name and date of signature.
1.15. The initiators nominating candidates, authorized representatives of the candidate, political parties and blocs of political parties must count the number of voters signatures collected in support of the candidate to presidency, compile the final protocol (Appendice # 1 made to Instruction) on the results of collecting voters signatures and sign it.
1.16. Signature sheets submitted to CEC shall be successively numbered and made into pages as a folder.
II. Submission of election documents for the registration of the candidate to presidency
2.1. The candidate or the authorized representative of voters’ initiative group, the candidate, political parties and blocs of political parties shall submit the following election documents for the candidate registration to the CEC at most 65 days and at least 40 days prior to the voting day:
2.1.1. signature sheets containing voters signatures collected in support of the candidate;
2.2.2. 2 copies of the final protocol on the results of the collection of voters signatures (Appendice # 1 made to Instruction);
2.2.3. notification on changes made to the information about the candidate in candidate’s application on commitment;
2.2.4. information on the amount and source of candidate’s income for a year after the appointment of elections;
2.2.5. reference on annual sum of these incomes from organizations where income has been achieved from;
2.2.6. property information of the candidate compiled in conformity with Appendice # 5 made to the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
2.2.7. candidate’s initial financial report including the information on the funds spent for the organization of the collection of voters signatures.
2.3. CEC receives signature sheets during the period implied by the item # 2.1 of this Instruction since 9.00 a.m. till 18.00 p.m. Signature sheets and the documents to be attched to them submitted after the period defined by legislation do not form the same legal consequences as the relevant documents submitted in time cause. CEC shall make official this case by its decision.
2.4. When receiving election documents, the CEC shall approve each folder containing signature sheets with stamp, checks if the number of the number of the submitted signature sheets match with the number recorded in the protocol on the result of collection of signatures, then having recorded the number of the received election documents, as well as of signature sheets and the number of signatures in signature sheets, submits a written reference on the receipt of documents (Appendice # 2 made to Instruction). After being signed by the CEC Secretary, the person who submitted signature sheets and other election documents to CEC, the reference shall be sealed by the stamp of the CEC and one copy of the reference shall be submitted to the person who submitted election documents.
III. Registration of the candidate to presidency by CEC
3.1. After receiving signature sheets and other documents necessary for the candidate registration, CEC shall adopt grounded decision on registration or refusal from the registration of the candidate. When registering the candidate nominated by political party, political party bloc, CEC shall indicate the candidate’s nomination by political party, political party bloc in its decision on registration. The decision on registration or refusal from registration, should contain its date and time of adoption.
3.2. The copy of the decision on candidate registration should be submitted to the candidate, authorized representatives of political party, political party bloc that nominated candidate within one day since the day of adopting this decision by CEC, if the registration was refused, then its reasons should also be indicated.
3.3. CEC shall provide each registered candidate with registration card.
3.4. Information on registered candidates to presidency shall be submitted to mass media within 48 hours after the registration.
3.5. List of registered candidates to presidency should be published in periodicals after the registration ends.
