Azernews.Az

The Azerbaijani opposition has said the October 15 presidential election was unfair and fraudulent.
Ali Karimli, the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), made the statement at Thursday`s news conference of the leaders of the Opposition Cooperation Center, a bloc set up by Azerbaijani opposition parties that boycotted the elections.
"First of all, voter turnout was blown out of proportion. Though the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that 75 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots, the real figure was no more than 20%," Karimli maintained.
According to preliminary tallies announced by the CEC, incumbent President Ilham Aliyev was overwhelmingly re-elected for a second five-year term, having won 89% of the votes.
Karimli said he did not believe in the credibility of exit polls conducted by local NGOs, either.
Three exit polls conducted by Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations each gave the incumbent head of state over 80 percent of all votes cast.
Eldar Namazov, head of the Public Forum for Azerbaijan, said last Wednesday`s poll did not differ from previous elections held in the country.
"There was only one difference. This time, candidates were falsified, along with the results of the elections," he claimed.
Musavat leader Isa Gambar also said the election was not free and fair, and fell short of international standards.
The Opposition Cooperation Center is made up of PFPA, Musavat, the Liberal and Civil and Development Parties, and the Public Forum for Azerbaijan.