Azerbaijan excludes PACE from parliamentary election observation

Azerbaijan has chosen not to invite the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to observe the upcoming extraordinary elections for the Milli Majlis.

A diplomatic source cited by local media said the exclusion of PACE is attributed to the Assembly’s perceived biased and double-standard approach towards Azerbaijan over recent years, Caliber.Az reports.

The source further indicated that PACE’s participation in monitoring the elections might be reconsidered only after the Azerbaijani delegation’s mandate is confirmed.

It is noteworthy that on January 24, Azerbaijan's delegation to PACE announced its decision to suspend interactions and its presence in the Assembly indefinitely.

Azerbaijan has extended invitations to 20 other international organizations to observe the parliamentary elections.

The extraordinary parliamentary elections were scheduled following an order signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on June 28, dissolving the 6th convocation of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) and setting the election date for September 1, 2024.