23:41, 22 December 2004

OSCE considers Azerbaijan municipal elections rigged

The municipal elections held in Azerbaijan did not meet international standards stated in the 1990 Copenhagen Document, reads a press release of the OSCE Office in Baku received by editors of the Caucasian Knot. "Some 40 groups of observers, formed of embassy officials, officials of the OSCE Office in Baku, IFES, and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), visited over 200 palling stations and monitored the whole process from the beginning of voting," the OSCE office announced. "The bad weather in many regions of the country as well as the boycott on the part of main opposition parties caused voters' inactivity and indifference. The turnout in some municipalities was less then 20%," reads the document. Gross violations were registered during the voting and counting of votes.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent