Serious violations were recorded during the voting and counting of votes in the presidential elections in Azerbaijan on February 7. Among them are ballot stuffing, voters arriving in groups, and unregistered voters voting. This is stated in the preliminary conclusion of the joint observation mission of the OSCE and OSCE/ODIHR.
The report found that there was no real pluralism in the run-up to the elections, and critical voices were constantly suppressed. Long-standing restrictions on freedom of association and expression have been strengthened by legislative changes. Although six other candidates entered the campaign, none challenged the incumbent's policies, leaving voters with no viable alternative.
“Overly restrictive media legislation, as well as recent arrests of critical journalists, have hampered press freedom and led to widespread self-censorship,” the OSCE concluded.
Let us recall that Ilham Aliyev, who has ruled since 2003, became president for the fifth time. Power was transferred to him by his father Heydar Aliyev.
