Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan`s Central Election Commission approved the candidacies of five more candidates on Saturday to stand in the October 15 presidential election, bringing the number of registered candidates to 11.
Candidates include Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of the Whole Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan; Fuad Aliyev from the Liberal-Democratic Party; Hafiz Hajiyev of Muasir (Modern) Musavat; Mais Gulaliyev, the leader of the Green Party; and Gudrat Isagov, a senior scholar from the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Physics.
Two days earlier, the CEC endorsed the candidacies of six other contenders - incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party`s chairman, and Igbal Aghazada from Umid (Hope) Party. Also approved were self-nominated hopefuls, Yashar Ahmadov, an unemployed citizen; Doctor Vugar Seyidov; pensioner Alimukhtar Akbarov; and Sevinj Guliyeva, a sanitary worker at Sumgayit`s central hospital.
Under the law, approved candidates may now embark on the collection of signatures. The signature campaign is to be completed by September 5 and 40,000 signatures are required for a qualified candidate to run for election.
The Azadlig bloc, that comprises three opposition parties, and the Musavat party, are boycotting the election. The Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), the Classic Popular Front and Great Establishment Parties, as well as Eldar Namazov, the head of the Public Forum for Azerbaijan, have refused to stand in the election.