On December 12, municipal elections were held for the first time in Azerbaijan. Nearly 40 thousand candidates were running for 21 thousand municipal mandates. The results of the municipal elections were determined in advance, in favor of the government, at the stage of registering candidates. While almost all the candidates nominated by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) were registered at this stage, most of the prospective candidates from the opposition were not allowed to register.
The voting process itself was also unfair. While the results of the last presidential elections were fabricated at the level of the Central and Territorial Electoral Commissions, the results of these elections were fabricated directly at the level of the electoral district, in the presence of observers.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has stated that 52 percent of the electorate participated in the elections. This is not true according to the reports of observers. In the majority of the election districts in Baku, voter turnout was 10-12 percent. These figures are supported by the election committees of the Popular Front and Musavat parties as well. International observers also stated that voter frequency was below the minimum required level.
Petrushka Shustrova, a journalist from the Czech Republic sent to observe the elections in Baku, stated that according to her observations only 10 percent of the electorate voted. Ms. Shustrova held a press conference after the elections, and expressed her doubts regarding the statement by the CEC that 'the level of voter participation was sufficient to validate the elections.'
A special observer's mission of the European Council also observed the municipal elections in Azerbaijan. European Council observers monitored the elections in over 60 regions of the country. In a meeting with representatives of the political parties, they stated that the people had taken a passive attitude in relation to the elections.
The main reason for fabricating the election results was to ensure that a quorum was met. After 8 PM on election day, observers from the opposition parties were not allowed to witness the vote counting in some districts. The police were occasionally used to keep them away. There were also incidents of the police beating some opposition observers. In some districts, opposition observers witnessed ballot boxes being stuffed with pro-government votes.
The election process as well as the voting itself was manipulated by the government. The electoral commissions, controlled by the government, made sure that members of the ruling YAP and impartial persons needed by the government were elected. In the opinion of some observers, the elections in a few outlying districts were completely free and fair. Opposition parties could note some success in these regions. The final results of the municipal elections are not yet official, but according to initial calculations, the opposition is expected to gain only 8-9 percent of the mandates.
The will of the people has not been expressed in these elections.
But even if it had been, it probably would not have had any influence on
the final results. The results of the elections have been determined not
by the people, but by the government in power.