Azerbaijan: "Azadlyg" opposition block boycotts presidential election

Three oppositional parties - the People's Front, Party of Citizens and Development and Liberal Party of Azerbaijan, united into the block named "Azadlyg", have officially declared their boycott of the presidential election appointed for October 15, 2008.

"This autumn, we expect not election but a performance entitled "Election". The block is not going to participate in this performance and resolutely declares its boycott of the forthcoming presidential election," runs the promulgated statement of the block.

The "Azadlyg" block has stated that when improvement had been drafted of the Electoral Code, no recommendations of the opposition concerning the electoral legislation were taken into account, namely, formation of electoral commissions on the parity basis, an opportunity of repeated tabulation of votes, increase of the powers of the members of commissions who have observer's votes and setting up equal conditions for running pre-election propaganda campaign by all the candidates.

"The amendments and additions have technical, editorial or updating nature and contribute to even greater toughening of the existent situation," runs the message of the "Azadlyg" block.
The boycott tactics declared by the "Azadlyg" block was not supported by other oppositional parties. The "Musavat", Democratic Party and the Greens have nominated their chairmen - Isa Gambar, Sardar Djalaloglu and Mais Gyulaliev.