​PACE co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan: ODIHR's decision is weird

Baku. 2 November. REPORT.AZ/ "I have observed almost all the elections in Azerbaijan. I have observed parliamentary elections since 1995. Interest in the elections was high, although turnout now everywhere in Europe is low".

Report informs, a member of the observation mission of PACE, co-rapporteur of the PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan, Tadeusz Iwinski said today.

According to him, he visited polls in Baku, Gobustan, Shamakhi and Ismayilli, did not identify any serious violations.

Iwinski said that the last elections in Azerbaijan can be considered as another step on the path of democratic development. "None of us are perfect," added Iwinski.

Commenting on the OSCE ODIHR's refusal on election observation in Azerbaijan, Iwinski called this decision weird: "The number of observers was a controversial issue. I do not know why it was not possible to reach a compromise. On November 1 elections in Azerbaijan and Turkey were held. There are 8 million residents Azerbaijan and in 80 million in Turkey. Why, then, ODIHR insisted on the same number of observers in Turkey and in Azerbaijan ?! I'm so sorry about this decision "