Azeri opposition leaders refuse to meet CE observers after row
A row has arisen between opposition party
representatives and the observers of the Council of Europe Congress
of Local and Regional Authorities, who are in Azerbaijan to monitor
the situation ahead of the country’s December 23 municipal
elections.
According to the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), the opposition representatives refused to meet with the CE observers, citing violation of ethics and procedural rules.
The meeting had been initially scheduled for 1 p.m. but was delayed for half an hour. Further, only the ruling party YAP’s representatives were invited to the conference room. Gaya Doganoglu, the head of the election observation mission, told the opposition politicians that he would first meet separately with YAP executives and that they should wait. After about forty more minutes, the opposition leaders declined the meeting.
The meeting was to be attended by the leaders of Umid (Hope) Party, Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Civil and Development Party, the head of Musavat’s Election Department, and the acting chairman of the Azerbaijan Liberal Party (ALP).
According to the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), the opposition representatives refused to meet with the CE observers, citing violation of ethics and procedural rules.
The meeting had been initially scheduled for 1 p.m. but was delayed for half an hour. Further, only the ruling party YAP’s representatives were invited to the conference room. Gaya Doganoglu, the head of the election observation mission, told the opposition politicians that he would first meet separately with YAP executives and that they should wait. After about forty more minutes, the opposition leaders declined the meeting.
The meeting was to be attended by the leaders of Umid (Hope) Party, Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Civil and Development Party, the head of Musavat’s Election Department, and the acting chairman of the Azerbaijan Liberal Party (ALP).
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