Azernews.Az

A rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee visiting Azerbaijan has called on the opposition to take part in the 2008 presidential election.
Andres Herkel said the opposition should refrain from boycotting the poll and join struggle for presidency.
The Azadlig bloc of three main opposition parties has warned it will boycott the October 15 vote unless electoral legislation is improved.
Herkel told a press conference on the outcomes of the rapporteurs' visit on Monday that equal conditions should be provided for pre-election campaigning. He voiced utter concern over the increased amount of deposits placed by election hopefuls and the eliminated opportunities for propaganda on state television, proposed in the new bill on changes and addenda to the Election Code.
Pre-election campaigning and propaganda on state-owned broadcasters is forbidden, and is allowed only on Public TV and Radio. Payable campaigns on private TV channels will be conducted in accord with the Law on Advertising. Under the previous version of the Election Code, presidential nominees were granted six hours for their campaigns on state media free of charge.
The rapporteurs expressed hope for a speedy adoption of the bill on changes and addenda to Azerbaijan's election laws.
"We hope these amendments will be in line with the proposals of the Council of Europe Venice Commission," said the other co-rapporteur, Evguenia Jivkova.
Herkel said the Council of Europe and other international groups were concerned with the imprisonment of three journalists in the country on different charges.
"Jailing journalists is not normal. We have thoroughly studied those journalists' cases. The charges brought against them were a concoction," he said after meeting with the jailed journalists.
The Azadlig newspaper editor Ganimat Zahid, an employee of the publication Mirza Sakit and the editor of Realny Azerbaijan and Gundalik Azerbaijan newspapers Eynulla Fatullayev remain imprisoned.
Herkel said the rapporteurs had stressed the importance of releasing the journalists in a meeting with Azerbaijani officials, saying the imprisonment of media representatives was damaging the country's international image.
Baku says international organizations' feedback on the situation with media freedom is biased. Government officials on various levels have repeatedly stated that no journalists have been arrested in the country over their work.
The rapporteurs will prepare a report in conclusion of their meetings in Baku to be further discussed at the PACE session in Strasbourg in June.