“The election held did not quite fit international standards,” head of OSCE mission in Azerbaijan, Swiss parliamentarian Giovanni Kessler said at a press conference today. In his words, as reported by “Novosti” Russian agency, in the course of the election “numerous facts of violence took place, calls to violence were heard, the use force by police was sometimes excessive.” OSCE observers referred to intimidation of opposition representatives, including placing them under guard for long period of time, as well as attempts to bribe them, as most negative aspects of the past election. The observers noted they were concerned over the reports that collisions took place between electors and the candidates treated each other “not as competitors, but enemies.” “If election in a Council of Europe member country is not democratic, it will be very hard for it to acquire an image of a democratic country,” in his turn emphasized Peter Eicher, chief of the observation mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. “I am disappointed. Azerbaijan has missed a process of democratic election,” he emphasized.
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