DUSHANBE, 03.09.2024 /NIAT Khovar/. Azerbaijan has put forward considerable efforts to ensure open and transparent parliamentary elections, head of the CIS observation mission Leonid Anfimov told the media, BelTA learned from the mission’s headquarters.

The electoral legislation of Azerbaijan made it possible to organize and hold parliamentary elections on the basis of universal, equal, direct suffrage with secrecy of the vote. The electoral bodies provided conditions for the realization of the right of citizens to freely express their will in accordance with the principles of democratic elections. This was the conclusion of the CIS observation mission following the snap elections to Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This conclusion was voiced by Leonid Anfimov at the final press conference held in Baku on 2 September.

“The observation mission has conducted an analysis for compliance with the standards of democratic elections. It showed that the Constitution and the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as normative legal acts adopted on their basis enshrine provisions and principles that provide voters with conditions for free expression of will during voting. In the opinion of the mission, the electoral legislation meets the generally accepted principles and norms of international law and ensures open, free and democratic elections,” Leonid Anfimov said.

In his words, the CIS observation mission started monitoring the snap parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan on 13 August. The mission included 133 observers representing Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, as well as the CIS Executive Committee.

“On the election day, our observers worked in 16 districts of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where they visited 973 polling stations. According to the members of the mission, the voting was held in a calm atmosphere, was well-organized and transparent,” Leonid Anfimov said.

According to him, all necessary conditions for election observation were created in Azerbaijan. He also highly appreciated the calm, well-coordinated work of election commissions.

“Significant efforts were made by the Republic of Azerbaijan to hold open and transparent elections. The mission believes that the state authorities ensured that the election campaign was conducted at a high organizational level. I would like to congratulate the Azerbaijani people on the completion of the election campaign and express the hope that the newly elected parliament will make every effort for further development and prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its people,” Leonid Anfimov said.