Azernews.Az

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Polling stations opened throughout Azerbaijan at 8 a.m. on October 9, as the country`s citizens start casting ballots for one of the ten presidential candidates.

All conditions had been created in 125 constituencies to conduct the election in a normal manner, Chairman of Azerbaijan Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said at a press conference at the Sechkiler Information Center.

He said all conditions were ensured in polling stations for local and international observers to monitor the voting process.

The number of eligible voters in the country is nearly 5,145,000. The voting is conducted in 5,492 polling stations. Thirty-eight polling stations were set up abroad.

Appraising the preparation for the election, Panahov said that there is no alternative to transparent and fair elections in a country that wants to build a democratic state.

"No one is insured against unfavorable cases, but we have taken all conditions to avoid any such cases. Azerbaijani voters will show their activity at today's elections. Voters were always active at presidential election in Azerbaijan. I believe that Azerbaijani voters will not be indifferent to their further five-year fate," he said.

The voting is conducted in 125 constituencies - 5,492 polling stations - of which 5,273 are permanent and 219 are located in Azerbaijan's embassies, consulates general and permanent representations in foreign countries, as well as in ships navigating under the country`s national flag in the Caspian Sea and international waters, military units, sanatoriums, treatment and correctional facilities.

The CEC issued a total of 5,149,255 ballot papers for the election.

All polling stations were provided with indelible ink and special devises for reading it. The computers are connected to the State Automated Information System by optical fiber cables to ensure immediate delivery of available information to CEC`s "Sechkiler" information center.

The CEC will issue five reports (10.00, 12.00, 15.00, 17.00, and 19.00) through the State Automated Information System which will be available at the commission's official websites (www.msk.gov.az; www.cec.gov.az; www.infocenter.gov.az).

Some 1,000 polling stations (20 percent) are equipped with webcams (except in voting booths) to provide internet users with an opportunity to watch the whole voting process online. The list of the webcam-equipped polling stations is available at CEC`s websites, and was published in the press.
The number of eligible voters in the country is nearly 5,145,000.

The voting is monitored by approximately 1,400 international observers representing the OSCE, OSCE ODIHR, the Council of Europe, PACE, European Parliament, European Union, CIS, CIS PA, TurkPA, the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States and other international organizations, as well as representatives from nearly 60 countries.

Chiefs and representatives of central electoral commissions of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey, and Latvia are also in Azerbaijan to observe the election.

Also, about 52,000 local observers, including representatives of political parties, NGOs and independent observers monitor the voting process.