By the Order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 3 September 2010, the fourth call Elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan was appointed to 7 November 2010. Central Election Commission had implemented all the activity related with the conduct of elections basing on “Calendar Plan for the main activities and measures on the preparation and conduct of the fourth call Elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan” which was adopted on 6 September 2010.
As 2010 had been the year of the following elections, the Central Election Commission had commenced to prepare and implement many projects since the beginnings of the year and the projects considered to be finished till November were successfully realized. The row of these projects includes the specification of voters lists, further improvement of working conditions and financial-technical supply of lower election commissions, conduct of professional courses on election right and such other activities for election commissions, education of electoral participants with various status, nomination and registration of candidates to deputy, ensuring equal facilities for pre-election campaign and so on.
In November wide-scale and intensive activity of CEC was specially considerable. So thus, important election documents, i.e. ballot papers, carbonized official copies of Con.EC and PEC voting results protocol samples and considered for observers were published at the press under the observation of international (foreign) agency representatives and delivered to Con.ECs, from there to PECs. Meanwhile, lower election commissions had been provided with invisible ink and ultraviolet lamps for marking the fingers of the voters participating in the voting with ink which had been applied since 2005.
In the aim of ensuring the facilities specified by legislation for pre-election campaign subjects to conduct their campaigns, Central Election Commission being on the top, lower election commissions and other organizations had taken all activities within their competence and pre-election campaign basing on equal terms within the country had been continued also in November for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections. Candidates could convey their pre-election platforms to the voters by using TV (for each candidate four minutes free airtime in Public TV) and press means (free space for publication in “Azerbaijan” paper). Furthermore, candidates used other TV and press means on the paid bases and equal terms.
Election procedure was followed by 46639 local observers accredited for observing elections, so that they represented political parties, NGOs functioning within the republic and candidates to deputy. At the observation process, 1029 international observers representing 21 international organizations and 48 countries also took part. Both local and international observers were provided with relevant badges, guidebooks for local and international observers and other necessary information. International observers were also supplied with Election Code in English, “Guide for Observers” published in English and Russian, informational disc about Azerbaijan, map of the country and other necessary materials.
Informing the publicity had always been of great importance to CEC. By considering the approach of elections, CEC had made more intensive its relations with mass media during November. For ensuring the transparency in the work of the Commission, CEC activity had been fully open to mass media during November like in all months and they had been informed on the date of sessions beforehand.
Mass media representatives had been regularly invited to CEC activities and were provided with necessary information. In the aim of informing the country publicity on the preparation and conduct of elections, CEC held press conferences, briefings in November, delivered information to the electron informational means functioning within the country, published press releases and articles. CEC commissioners and Secretariat officials provided 12 interviews on different topics. Like previous months, in November CEC Chairman also conducted 5 briefings and one press conference for local and foreign mass media representatives. At the briefings, CEC Chairman informed on the latest activities realized by CEC, works implemented in the field of preparations to elections and enlightened the issues of great interest to journalists. During November CEC facilitated the representatives of some lower election commissions to make speech in local mass media. On Public TV “round table” was arranged under the participation of Con.EC chairpersons, as well as, the chairpersons of lower election commissions provided interviews to mass media in order to inform the country publicity on their activity.
Press releases, comments and articles related with CEC activity were published in mass media. Therewith, pursuant to Election Code, CEC decisions and other normative-legal document approved by it were published in “Azerbaijan” paper and located on CEC official website. In general, during November more than 100 articles on CEC activity were published in daily leading papers. 38 papers, 13 information agencies and 12 TV and radio companies intending to join the candidates’ pre-election campaign within the period defined by law submitted notification to CEC and enjoyed the right to disseminate relevant materials or publish them.
43 international mass media representatives from nearly 20 foreign mass media including Reuters, BBC, Al-Jazaira, TRT, Associated Press, France Press, EPA, Anadolu, Ihlas Haber Ajansi, Daily Ittehad accredited by CEC and as well as, mass media representatives functioning within the republic independently enlightened elections. Pursuant to Election Code, “ELS” Independent Investigations Center applied to CEC for conducting exit-poll covering 1180 election precincts on the voting day and it was accredited. On Election Day, the above-mentioned organization was enabled to hold exit-poll.
The usage practice of web cameras which had been applied since 2008 in election history of Azerbaijan and allowed to live follow the voting process through internet outside of the election precincts had also been carried on in these elections. Up to the Election Day, in 500 out of the polling stations of the republic (approximately in 10%) technical preparations of web cameras had been finalized, after considering this issue at the CEC session relevant decision was adopted and the list of the polling stations where web cameras had been installed was approved. On 4 November, CEC Chairman together with Minister of Communication and Informational Technologies had visited the center of technical supervision on web cameras, they had been made familiar with the latest preparations with web cameras and fully ready state of the equipment was once more checked. Through these web cameras the internet users were able to live and incessantly follow the voting process, vote count and the determination of votes by entering the CEC website either within the country or abroad.
Electron hot line # 115 functioning at the Central Election Commission had received more than 500 applies since the beginnings of November till Election Day. On the Election Day, CEC hot line received 420 applies, the majority of which constituted the questions of voters and candidates related with the voters lists, voting procedures, address of the polling stations and so on. The appeals entered both until Election Day and on this day were immediately relied to and relevant steps were operatively taken forward.
One of the basic activity directions of the Central Election Commission is the cooperation with international and foreign organizations. In the frame of this cooperation, different projects and meetings were realized. So, related with the forthcoming elections, CEC had closely cooperated with OSCE Baku office, special representation of Venice Commission of the European Council and Secretary General to Baku, embassies of foreign states to Azerbaijan and many other organizations, regular meeting were held.
November was also prosperous as to the meetings of Central Election Commission administration with the representatives of international organizations. The row of these meetings included the meetings of CEC Chairman with Wolfgang Grossruck, vice president of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 4 November, on 5 November with Sergey Lebedev, head of CIS Observation Mission and Kuandik Turgankulov, chairman of Kazakhstan Central Election Commission, on 6 November with the members of the delegation of Parliamentary Assembly of Turkish Speaking Countries, delegation headed by Svetlana Orlova, deputy chairperson of Federation Council of Russian Federal Assembly, delegation led by Yelena Dubrovina, member of the Central Election Commission of Russian Federation. Furthermore, during the month, other representatives of CEC Secretariat held meetings of different level with the representatives of international organizations.
On Election Day – on 7 November at the briefing held by CEC Chairman he informed that the voting was commenced at 8.00 within the whole republic and declared open 5314 polling stations within the republic. Afterwards, by coming to the polling stations, voters expressed their will independently.
On Election Day five times – at 10.00, 12.00, 15.00, 17.00, 19.00 the information on voters turnout was transmitted to CEC via specific program through State Automated Information System and by informing mass media, as well as, locating on CEC website, was submitted to the publicity. All TV channels functioning within the republic broadcasted live interviews and news coverage for enlightening the activity of CEC and lower election commissions and took direct part in storage of the information entered to CEC.
Since 20.00 after closing the polling stations, the preliminary information on the precincts on the voting results from all precincts within the republic was directly transmitted to CEC website through specific program of State Automated Information System and from there it was submitted to all local and international publicity. On Election Day, in the aim of informing the publicity on election results via direct broadcast from the conference hall of the Central Election Commission, representatives of local and foreign mass media were provided with all facilities and the equipment installed to join the live airtime was used.
Since 21.30 preliminary voting results were started to be located on the website of the Commission and till 01.30, the information from nearly 80% of the precincts on the republic were added there. At 03.00 on Election Day, CEC Chairman conducted briefing for mass media representatives. At the briefing, the Commission chairperson provided information on the voting results on the constituencies basing on the information entered by 5100 precincts out of 5314 on the country and on the winner candidates, drew the attention of the publicity to preliminary election results. Commission chairperson stated that elections were arranged on high level, conducted freely and fairly, the registered candidates were equally facilitated, all local and international observers, mass media representatives were provided with all necessary possibilities to independently function and voters made their choices freely and independently by coming to polling stations. Commission chairperson informed on receiving the information on some violation cases and he stated that they would be patiently investigated.
Since 8 November after Election Day, Con.EC voting results protocols together with the documents attached to them had been delivered to CEC within the period defined by legislation. The appeals and complaints submitted to the Commission were investigated by Expert Group consisting of 9 persons pursuant to Election Code and Instruction on the rules of submitting the appeals and complaints on the violation of election right to the Central Election Commission and Constituency Election Commissions and the rules for considering them” and decisions were adopted by being discussed by the Central Election Commission. The above-talked procedures resulted in more thorough and effective investigation of the appeals.
7 November included the consideration of the appeals entered the hard working graphic of CEC. The appeals and complaints on misunderstanding rose during the voting, as well as violation claims were immediately replied to and relevant activities were taken. Opinions were provided on 15 voting-related appeals entered during the day after being investigated by the expert Group established under CEC and on the same day, relevant decisions were adopted by considering at the Commission session. On 7 November CEC held 2 sessions on the consideration of the appeals entered on Election Day. On 8 November 12 appeals entered CEC on the claim of violating election right were immediately considered, one was returned back due to the missed deadline, one was not implemented due to groundlessness and in 10 cases, decisions on determination were adopted. 96 appeals submitted since 9 November till 11 November were considered by CEC and relevant decision was adopted on each. Necessary decisions were adopted concerning 39 of these appeals and activities were taken, as the result of investigations, 48 of them were not implemented by being regarded groundless as they had not been proved, 9 appeals were returned back to the applicants as the deadline had been missed or the request had not been clear. Thorough investigation was conducted related with each complaint, the members of the Expert Group considering the complaints and CEC representatives were sent on business trip in areas for meeting with witnesses and inspecting the informed cases, informed the Commission on the opinion arrived at and at the result of the voting of the commissioners, final decision was adopted on the complaint. Relevant steps were taken forward to ensure the participation of the wishing complainers in the investigation and CEC session on the issue. In the aim of ensuring transparency in consideration process of the appeals and complaints, the activity of Expert Group was open to the applicants and international observers. While investigating the submitted appeals, the complainers and representatives of international organizations were made aware on this and invited to follow the process. During the sessions, CEC Chairman regularly invited the representative of the publicity and international election observation missions to take part in the investigation. Meanwhile, the members of Expert Group replied to the questions of international observers in the investigation process and enlightened the issues of great interest to them related with the investigation process times and again.
At the result of investigating the filed appeals and documents, the voting results on 46 precincts were considered invalid.
During November, CEC conducted 21 sessions and at these sessions, 258 decisions were adopted. One of the important decisions was the decision adopted by the Commission related with enabling the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan to exercise active election rights by using the identification cards during the voting notwithstanding the expire date. And many decisions embodied relevant document samples, receiving the documents and regulation of other issues.
One appeal basing on the resolution of Baku Appeal Court and 4 appeals basing on the resolutions of Supreme Court were re-considered by the Central Election Commission and all of these appeals were positively settled in favor of candidates.
On 22 November “Voting results protocol of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan” was approved and the Commission adopted decision on sending it together with necessary documents to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the approval. At the first session of Plenum of the Constitutional Court held on 26 November, preliminary hearings were conducted and at the session held on 29 November, the results of the fourth call Elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan conducted on 7 November were officially approved.
All election-related information had been posted on the CEC web-site (www.msk.gov.az, www.cec.gov.az, www.infocenter.gov.az). Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, all instructions, rules, comments and decisions adopted by the CEC are available on the web-site in Azerbaijan and English languages immediately after sessions. Furthermore, dislocations of election constituencies and precincts, voters’ search system, information on previous elections, information on candidates, composition, address, contact information of election commissions, address and maps of election precincts, voters’ lists, information on pre-election campaign, as well as list of open, closed places and other information of great interest to publicity are located on the web-site and regularly updated.
Reports of Central Election Commission in Azerbaijan, English and Russian languages are posted on the web-site and addressed to local and international (foreign) organizations via e-mail.

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