Subjective judgments not to affect election results in Azerbaijan: political analyst
By Trend
Azerbaijan appreciates the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) mission for coming and carrying out observations, but Azerbaijan’s Electoral Code, the voters' choice as well as the election results are the main thing for Azerbaijan, political analyst Fikret Sadikhov told Trend March 9.
He said that one can expect only objective and fair approach from the observation mission in the presidential election.
“They attended the last presidential election as well,” Sadikhov said. “Quite sound judgments and objective assessments were voiced that time, but there were some subjective views as well.”
He noted that even now there certainly will be those dealing with some minor facts at the elections in Azerbaijan.
“Therefore, they can draw any conclusions, it is their right, functions and tasks,” Sadikhov added. “Of course, their judgments and conclusions are important for the public, including the foreign public. However, for Azerbaijan, first of all, the results of the voting are important.”
He noted that if the observers are objective, they should honestly and fairly draw concrete practical conclusions for themselves, considering the political practice and the choice of the Azerbaijani voters.
Commenting on the current activity of the mission, Sadikhov noted with regret that a number of observers come to Azerbaijan guided not by the desire to objectively evaluate the results of the election and to inform the general public about it in their reports and statements, but with some bias, subjectivity.
This happens because there are external forces that are interested in such a subjective approach to results of the election, he noted, adding that these forces are critical of the political realities of Azerbaijan and plan certain destabilization scenarios in the country.
“It is clear that there are political forces that stand behind those observers,” Sadikhov said. “Azerbaijan is well aware of this fact. Those are forces that are not interested in a stable situation in Azerbaijan. They would like to see a different path of Azerbaijan’s development, its subordination to the interests of some leading country, power, or some political forces that would dictate their conditions and impose their own development parameters.”
In this aspect, various subjective judgments are possible this time as well, and this factor cannot be ruled out, he said.
“However, they are not the main elements of the election campaign in Azerbaijan; it is the voter who makes the choice,” Sadikhov added. “Such judgments are unlikely to affect the outcome of the election and the entire election campaign, let alone the development of Azerbaijan.”
Presidential election will be held in Azerbaijan on April 11, 2018.
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