Preamble

ESISC has conducted an independent observation mission in Azerbaijan for October 9 Presidential elections. 

ESISC Electoral Observation Mission assessed that October 9 elections were conducted with a high level of transparency and a strict respect of international standards. 

Even if Azerbaijan is still a country in transition and in stabilization, it satisfied all the due criteria of free, fair and transparent elections. 

ESISC was particularly impressed by the openness of the relevant authorities (including the Central Elections Commission) and its willingness to collaborate with the international community. It especially acknowledges the effort made to facilitate the work of the hundreds of foreign observers present in Baku for this important occasion. 

We must emphasize that the Election observation delegations of PACE and the EP arrived at the same conclusion regarding the Election Day as the ESISC observers. 

OSCE/ODIHR report is, as we expected, much more critical. The opposite would have been impossible for an international institution for which “Azerbaijan bashing“appears to be “business as usual“.[1] 

The mission was preceded by three pre-electoral missions realized on the field by Claude MONIQUET – ESISC CEO and William RACIMORA – ESISC vice CEO. In those missions the two ESISC experts met Central Elections Commission’s representatives, NGO’s members, diplomats, local journalists and several candidates from the opposition including Mr Jamil HASANLI, main Challenger of the incumbent President. During those pre-electoral missions we found that the freedom of the press and human rights of the candidates and others political activists were respected. [Read full report]