Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) Mazahir Panahov held a press conference on Sunday regarding the start of the snap parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan .
Panahov highlighted that all polling sites across the country have been fully prepared for voting. Following the announcement of the elections, the CEC and district election commissions took necessary measures in line with the Election Code to ensure a smooth electoral process.
The Chairman underscored that elections have grown to a major event in Azerbaijan. Parliamentary elections will be held for the first time across the entire sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.
The CEC Chairman reported that a total of 6,478 polling stations will operate throughout the day across 125 constituencies. Noting that 10 out the 125 constituencies are IDP constituencies, Mazahir Panahov added that 397,862 IDPs will be able to vote in 574 polling stations. Currently, 54 polling stations are operating in the liberated areas.
“To ensure transparency, webcams have been installed at 6478 polling stations nationwide, with 6,516,567 ballot papers distributed to polling stations,” he added.
According to the CEC Chairman, 6,421,960 voters will cast their ballots. A total of 990 candidates are registered for the snap parliamentary elections. Of these, 305 were nominated by political parties.
"There is a global interest for the elections held in Azerbaijan. Most of the international observers have extensive experience in elections and their opinions are important," Panahov underscored.
He said that a total of 598 international observers will monitor the elections, alongside 112,749 registered local observers.
The CEC Chairman announced that 22 international media representatives will cover the snap parliamentary elections.
The CEC Chairman also mentioned that three organizations—Social Research Center, Citizens’ Labor Rights Protection League, and “Taraggi” Social Research Public Union—will conduct exit polls, with some collaborating with foreign partners.
Mazahir Panahov noted that about 65,000 local observers to monitor the elections are representatives of 25 political parties.
The CEC Chairman emphasized that since 2008, the web cameras practice has been utilized in elections observation, stressing that an interested party from any country can visit the Central Election Commission website and observe the elections. Panahov described this as an example of transparency in elections.
The CEC Chairman urged voters to be active. “The initial received preliminary outcomes will be delivered to the public today. All requests are responded promptly” he added.
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