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Council Of Europe Head Calls For Fair Election In Azerbaijan

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  • Council Of Europe Head Calls For Fair Election In Azerbaijan

    COUNCIL OF EUROPE HEAD CALLS FOR FAIR ELECTION IN AZERBAIJAN

    Turan news agency
    30 Aug 05

    Baku, 30 August: There are a number of serious shortcomings in
    Azerbaijan in the sphere of freedom of assembly and expression. These
    freedoms are the fundamental human rights which should be observed
    in democratic countries, Council of Europe Secretary-General Terry
    Davis has said in an interview with the Baku-based Council of Europe
    information office.

    There are also other fields that have to be improved, the
    secretary-general said. He said it was important to hold "a
    constructive dialogue" between the authorities and the opposition. Both
    sides have to show political will in order to normalize relations
    and improve the political atmosphere in the country, he said.

    After the previous election [presidential election in October 2003],
    which was accompanied with flaws, there is no alternative to a free
    and fair election in Azerbaijan. To this end, the Council of Europe
    has drawn up an action plan in order to make sure that the [6 November
    parliamentary] election is held in the right way. It consists of three
    sections: revision of the Electoral Code and improvement of election
    management; increasing of voters' awareness with the aim of boosting
    public involvement in the election process; promoting of Council of
    Europe values through NGOs and the media.

    Asked what the Council of Europe would do if the election
    was falsified once again, Davis said much would depend on the
    conclusion of PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]
    observers. "Therefore, I do not want to make decisions in advance,"
    he said.

    Asked to comment on the situation around the Armenian-Azerbaijani
    conflict as a former PACE reporter on Nagornyy Karabakh, Davis said
    he regretted frequent truce violations and losses sustained by both
    sides. In Davis' opinion, the Prague process, which started a year ago,
    has made settlement prospects much stronger.
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