Mazahir Panahov: Azerbaijani public has great interest in this election

Baku. 6 February. REPORT.AZ/ "The Azerbaijani public is well-educated and enough intellectual. This year, Azerbaijan will hold extraordinary presidential election. The interest in this election is great in the country."

Report informs, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said at today’s CEC session on early presidential elections.

He said that any event contrary to the Electoral Code and the Constitution will not take place during the elections.

If there are any problems, the CEC will immediately examine it. We are trying to solve issues more in favor of a candidate. We have to be careful with elections. I believe that media outlets will also accordingly cover this election. Media is an avant-garde group of the people. They cover the processes taking place in the country. If any media outlet serves the state, there can’t be any problem. There may be others who try to intervene. We must stay together.

Panahov noted that journalists’ opinion stands above all the processes: "This is true in all countries. Central Election Commission has always closely cooperated with mass media. All the elections in Azerbaijan are based on the will of the people. Nobody can interfere with this issue. There is no ideal process. We have always said that there may be some irregularities in the processes. Because this process has millions of participants and the choices are different. Whatever the legislation requires, a proper stand will be established. There are 5,000 polling stations in Azerbaijan. In 2000, there was a problem in some poll station and it was argued that if this not happened, another candidate would be selected, - now such cases can not appear, as the matter is immediately investigated and evaluated. The Central Election Commission has gained considerable experience in holding elections."