Azerbaijan’s CEC chairman hosts SCO official As snap parliamentary elections approach

Mazahir Panahov, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission (CEC), has met with Nuran Niyazaliyev, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Niyazaliyev, who is leading a SCO delegation, is in Azerbaijan to observe the forthcoming snap parliamentary elections, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

During the meeting, Panahov highlighted that this election will be the first instance of parliamentary voting conducted across Azerbaijan's entire sovereign territory. He pointed out that 54 polling stations have been set up in the recently liberated areas to accommodate over 42,000 voters, ensuring they can exercise their constitutional rights.

Panahov also revealed that 990 candidates are vying for parliamentary seats, with more than 600 international and 112 domestic observers overseeing the election process. In a move to enhance transparency, webcams have been installed in 1,000 polling stations nationwide, enabling real-time online monitoring on Election Day without the need for prior registration.

Niyazaliyev, leading the SCO observation mission, commended the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and the SCO. He expressed optimism that the upcoming parliamentary elections would be conducted in a free, democratic, and transparent manner.