Referendum concerns rising

A number of international organizations in Baku have voiced concerns over alleged ballot fraud in the 24 August referendum that eventually amended the Constitution. The accusations followed the recent US State Department statement pointing to “widespread irregularities” in the polling.

Press Secretary of the US State Department Bureau for European Affairs Bill Capler has said the observations of the US embassy, law enforcement bodies, international organizations, and opposition parties show serious irregularities and lack of transparency in the referendum.

“It questions the legitimity of the 24 August referendum”, Mr. Capler was quoted as saying.

The President proposed nationwide polling introduced 39 amendments on state budget, elections, court of appeals, amnesty, etc. to 24 articles of the Constitution.

Some of the changes, including transference of the President’s powers to the Premier, but not the Speaker, in case he is unable or absent to rule, the reduction in the vote quorum for presidential elections and abolishment of the non-constituency election system, have drawn heavy fire from opposition.

The OSCE Office in Baku said the referendum process gives cause for concern in its press release Wednesday.

Though the Office was unable to participate in observing the balloting directly, it issued the statement "to echo concerns expressed by observers of the referendum.”

The OSCE has said “accusations and reports of irregularities in the voting process have been numerous and have emanated from the voting population and the whole range of observers”. Reports have included ballot stuffing, overt police presence and pressure on voters, multiple voting, use of supplementary voter lists and other forms of ballot rigging. Such reports are too numerous and from such a wide variety of usually reliable, apolitical sources to be ignored or dismissed, according to the OSCE.

"The referendum law appears in some parts inadequate to provide the best basis for its purpose and is at odds with the country's electoral law, in particular regarding participation of observers. It does not allow for the participation of journalists as observers and does not specifically include NGO in that role".

The OSCE has therefore concluded that the process fell short of providing a credible and reliable means of eliciting the views of the population on the issues of the referendum.

In the meantime, Eurasian Project Director of the US based National Democracy Institute Nelson Ledski has reportedly said the referendum was badly organized from the beginning to the end, with obstacles for local observers and journalists.

“The officials holding the referendum gave way to wide-scale irregularities both in the polling and the counting of votes”, he told local ANS TV.

‘Elections by only UN, OSCE’

The Union of Pro-Azerbaijan Forces, a local pro-opposition entity, said Wednesday it was impossible to hold elections in Azerbaijan with current district and precinct commissions and the only way out was to invite the UN and the OSCE to hold the next elections.

The union alleged a great number of irregularities during the 24 August referendum, such as multiple voting, crackdown on observers, ballot box stuffing, and even invitations for those who died 15 years ago.

1,200 UPF observers out of 4868 watched the ballot.