Azernews.Az

BAKU – The political parties that gained seats in Azerbaijan’s parliament following Sunday’s elections have issued a statement saying the vote was democratic.

The ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party (YAP), Ana Vatan, Civil Solidarity, Democratic Reforms, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front, Great Establishment, Civil Unity, Justice and Social Prosperity Parties said in a statement that the election was free, fair, democratic and transparent, and clearly reflected the will of the Azerbaijani people.

The statement said that Sunday’s election was a major step forward on the path toward democracy.

It said that throughout pre-election campaigning, some opposition parties, realizing that they would lose to their rivals, had made attempts to disrupt these campaigns.

"And, immediately after the elections, they tried to cast a shadow on the democratic and transparent image of the campaigns without any reasonable grounds. We condemn the drive for distorting the course and outcomes of the election campaign and assess this as actions that do not comply with the rules of democratic conduct and the norms of political culture."

On Wednesday, the parties and blocs that failed to win seats in parliament said they do not recognize the election outcomes and demanded a re-run of the vote.

Yeni Azerbaijan Party, chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, gained a 72-seat majority in the 125-member legislature. 12 candidates representing 10 other parties were elected to the Milli Majlis as well. Independent candidates claimed the remaining 41 seats.

690 candidates stood in the parliamentary elections. Parliament members were elected for a five-year term under the majority of votes.