OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will not observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, AzVision.az reports quoting the official website of OSCE.
Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) noted that did not agree with terms offered by Baku, and because of it made this decision.
“The restriction on the number of observers taking part would make it impossible for the mission to carry out effective and credible election observation,” the ODIHR Director said. “Regretfully, we are compelled by these actions to cancel the deployment of ODIHR’s observation mission for the parliamentary elections.”
Azerbaijan, as all OSCE participating States, has committed to inviting international observers for its elections, as well as to ensuring utmost attention to the independence, impartiality and professionalism of ODIHR election observation. Following the receipt of an invitation from the Azerbaijani authorities, an ODIHR needs assessment mission sent to the country recommended the deployment of an election observation mission, including a core team of experts, 30 long-term observers and 350 short-term observers.
In a 31 August communication, Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission to the OSCE stated that the authorities were ready to accept only 6 long-term and up to 125 short-term ODIHR observers. The decision to cancel the deployment was only taken after a further communication, received late yesterday from the Azerbaijani Permanent Mission, reiterated these limitations.
Within its mandate, ODIHR remains ready to provide assistance to Azerbaijan in the implementation of its election-related and other OSCE human dimension commitments, Director Link underlined.
OSCE ODIHR will not observe elections in Azerbaijan
12 September 2015
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