CIS, SCO observer mission leaders meet in Baku to review election preparations

On August 31, 2024, in Baku, the heads of observer missions from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) convened to discuss preparations for Azerbaijan's early parliamentary elections scheduled for September 1.

According to the CIS Executive Committee's press service, the meeting brought together Leonid Anfimov, First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS, and Nuran Niyazaliyev, Deputy Secretary General of the SCO. Igor Karpenko, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Belarus, also participated in the discussions.

The focus of the meeting was on the roles of the CIS and SCO observer missions in overseeing the upcoming elections in Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports referring to local media sources.

The statement from the meeting noted, “The parties agreed that the election campaign is transparent and open, and international observers have the necessary conditions for monitoring the parliamentary elections.”

Anfimov informed the attendees that the CIS observer mission comprises 133 members, including 10 stationed in Azerbaijan long-term. He highlighted the mission’s commitment to maintaining objectivity and non-interference, stating, “Traditionally, we build our work on the basis of personal observation of the mission members, information received from the field as a result of communication with members of election commissions, from representatives of state bodies.”

Niyazaliyev commented on the election process, noting, “The elections are going on very calmly, the situation in the country is friendly. I would assess the organizational level of the election campaign as high. And the most important thing in all this is the coordinated work of both the Central Election Commission and local election commissions.”

The meeting also covered topics such as the progress of the election campaign, the functioning of election commissions, and the readiness of polling stations.