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2013

The present document is a report of monitoring of the October 27, 2013 presidential elections by the International Society of Fair Elections and Democracy (hereinafter, the ISFED). 

EMDS has carried out independent observation of the last Presidential elections in Azerbaijan in October 2013 and has published a critical assessment of the election process.

EPDE has to state with concern that a number of home states of EPDE member organizations are marked by a regression in the field of free and democratic elections, grossly violated human rights, with ongoing harassment of civil society activists.

On 31 October the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan conducted a search in the office of EPDE member organization Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS) in Baku.

Observers reported two acts of political pressure and threats against member of Sakrebulo and three acts of physical assault on political grounds. Eelection campaign posters were intentionally damaged in three instances. 

 

EMDS regrets that the CEC, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court failed to ensure effective remedy mechanisms for complaints on election violations and therefore impartial investigation of election violations did not take place.

During the period from September 8, 2013, through October 6 ISFED identified five acts of pressure on voters who were forced to attend pre-election meetings and one case that involved physical assault.

EMDS regrets false statements made by state officials on opinions of domestic and international organizations about the Presidential Election and calls the government to demonstrate political will to conduct objective investigation of complaints.

Source: News Agency "Trend"

EMDS noted that the voting process was marred with serious violations as multiple voting, organised group voting, voters whose name were not on thevoter lists and ballot-box stuffing. 

Foto: Tom Henning Bratlie

Moscow, 9 September 2013: 8 September 2013 became the first "Single Voting Day", transferred to the second Sunday of September instead of two Single Voting Days, previously (since January 1, 2006) held in March and October.

 

 

In a number of cases, the Russian Federation’s Central Election Commission overturned the decisions of lower election commissions to refuse to certify and register party lists and candidates for the regional elections. 

Tblisi, 2 September 2013: EPDE Member International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) presents third pre-election monitoring report for the October 27, 2013, presidential elections.The report covers the period from August 5 through August 20, 2013.

 

The movement for the defence of voters’ rights, GOLOS, is presenting its first overview of the elections in Russia, which are scheduled to be held on 8 September 2013. This summary includes materials from activists and experts associated with GOLOS, as well as expert reports and analyses taken from publicly available sources.

EPDE and its Ukrainian member organization OPORA are worried about consequences in realization of constitutional rights of citizens and the right on local self-government, which result from the Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.

The European Platform for Democratic Elections and its Moldovan member organization Promo-LEX Association are alarmed by the hurried and non-transparent modification of the electoral system in Moldova. 

The European Platform for Democratic Elections protests against ongoing harassment and legal prosecution of its member organisation, the Association GOLOS and of its director Lilia Shibanova.