Opposition to sue electoral body head
The Azerbaijani opposition will file a lawsuit
against Mazahir Panahov, the chairman of the Central Election
Commission. The decision was agreed upon during a closed-door
meeting held at the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) office on
Thursday.
The ADP leader, Sardar Jalaloglu, said the move followed accusations that Panahov made against opposition parties in televised statements. He maintained that the CEC chairman had falsified his credentials when asserting that violations of laws had occurred by two initiative groups set up by the opposition to oppose the March 18 referendum, which is a nationwide poll on removing a two-term limit on the president.
"Panahov`s taking a political stance on the signature collection campaign is outside his authority," Jalaloglu claimed.
Panahov then said that members of the Republicans and For Garabagh and Republic initiative groups - which were established by the opposition to campaign for the upcoming referendum on pertinent constitutional changes - had declined to collect signatures and submitted signature papers to officials in a number of the country`s regions.
The Movement For Garabagh and Republic, which unites the two groups, makes up the Azadlig bloc of main opposition parties - comprising the Popular Front and Civil and Development Parties, and the National Unity Movement - as well as Musavat, Umid (Hope), and others.
Azer Sariyev, the CEC spokesman, countered that the electoral body`s chairman had not put forward any political position on the issue. "He simply made public the daily reports incoming to the Commission."
The ADP leader, Sardar Jalaloglu, said the move followed accusations that Panahov made against opposition parties in televised statements. He maintained that the CEC chairman had falsified his credentials when asserting that violations of laws had occurred by two initiative groups set up by the opposition to oppose the March 18 referendum, which is a nationwide poll on removing a two-term limit on the president.
"Panahov`s taking a political stance on the signature collection campaign is outside his authority," Jalaloglu claimed.
Panahov then said that members of the Republicans and For Garabagh and Republic initiative groups - which were established by the opposition to campaign for the upcoming referendum on pertinent constitutional changes - had declined to collect signatures and submitted signature papers to officials in a number of the country`s regions.
The Movement For Garabagh and Republic, which unites the two groups, makes up the Azadlig bloc of main opposition parties - comprising the Popular Front and Civil and Development Parties, and the National Unity Movement - as well as Musavat, Umid (Hope), and others.
Azer Sariyev, the CEC spokesman, countered that the electoral body`s chairman had not put forward any political position on the issue. "He simply made public the daily reports incoming to the Commission."
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