Azernews.Az

BAKU – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has suggested that the Azerbaijani government improve electoral practices by the parliamentary elections due in November.

Bilge Cankorel, head of the OSCE Office in Baku, said the number of documents required for the registration of candidates should be reduced, conditions improved for observers to monitor the vote count and the procedures of reviewing complaints expedited.

Cankorel announced the proposals on Monday as the Central Election Commission (CEC) opened training sessions for the chairmen of district election commissions.

Cankorel said the November 7 poll will be monitored by over 450 short-term observers.

"They are due to arrive in Azerbaijan in early November. Prior to that, 45 long-term observers will come to the country," he said.

Cankorel noted that the Council of Europe and other international organizations will also observe the elections, but the European Union will not delegate any observers.

He said international observers’ interest in the upcoming election was due to the ongoing development in the South Caucasus republic. "So many observers are not sent everywhere."

Commenting on the proposal to simplify registration of election hopefuls, CEC chief Mazahir Panahov said it was impossible to simplify it any more.

"Our registration procedure is so simple that I don’t know how it can be simplified any further," Panahov said.

Regarding international observers, he said invitations will be sent out as soon as the electoral process begins.

Panahov also said the EU’s not delegating any observers "was not related to Azerbaijan" and suggested that this could be related to funding issues.

"In any organization a program is outlined beforehand, and it could be that observing the elections in Azerbaijan was not included in that program. There is no other reason for this."

Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are held by the majority of votes system in 125 constituencies.