Some 60 OSCE PA observers to arrive in Azerbaijan for early parliamentary elections

Some 60 observers from the OSCE PA are deploying to Azerbaijan for the September 1 early parliamentary elections, marking the eleventh time the PA has observed elections in the country since 1995, Report informs referring to the OSCE PA.

Michael Creed (Ireland), Head of the Irish Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, will serve as Special Coordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, and Lucie Potůčková (Czechia), Chair of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Questions, will be the Head of the OSCE PA delegation of observers.

Observers will be thoroughly briefed by representatives of the election administration, civil society, candidates, party representatives, and experts on the situation ahead of the elections, before fanning out to several regions of Azerbaijan for election day observation.

"These early parliamentary elections are undoubtedly significant, especially given the context of the recent early presidential election held just six months ago, and the upcoming hosting by Azerbaijan of a major UN international event," said Special Coordinator Creed. " As a team of observers, we are committed to providing an impartial and thorough assessment, with our sole objective being to support the upholding of democratic standards and values, as well as a fair and transparent electoral process for the people of Azerbaijan."

"It is an honor to lead the delegation of OSCE PA international observers deploying for these early parliamentary elections, whose presence is a testament to the strong engagement of my international parliamentary colleagues in assessing the important upcoming electoral process, " said Head of the OSCE PA delegation Potůčková. "We are working closely with the OSCE/ODIHR mission to monitor whether these elections uphold democratic principles, guarantee free voting procedures, foster a fair campaign environment, ensure media accessibility, and accurately report the results."

The elections will be assessed against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document.

The preliminary findings and conclusions for the elections will be presented at a press conference in Baku on September 2.