On January 31, Central Election Commission conducted a meeting under the chairmanship of Mazahir Panahov.

The appeals submitted to Central Election Commission were considered at the meeting and concerned with referendum appointed for March 18, 2009. The member of commission Rovshan Ismayilov informed about the appeal submitted by the authorized representative of the referendum initiative group "Respublikachilar” Gulaga Aslanly.

 

According to information of the commission's member, the author of the appeal claimed that on January 21, 23 and 24 of current year, in the different areas of the republic (Jalilabad, Khachmaz, Ismayilli, Lenkeran, Neftchala regions and Sumgayit city) police and local executive authorities interfered with the activity of persons collecting signatures (Azer Nagiyev, Mehman Ismayilov, Namig Akberly, Fehreddin Abbas) in support of referendum initiative group mentioned above by withdrawing and spoiling the signatures sheets and in spite of informing constituency election (referendum) commissions on the events took place in Lenkeran and Neftchala regions, it did not attempt to stop these actions; so the authorized representative requested to undertake appropriate measures on the persons committed illegal actions, as well as to provide with new signature sheets instead of spoiled ones.

The expert group established within the Central Election (Referendum) Commission investigated the appeal of the authorized representative and determined that the part of cases indicated in current appeal on the events took place assumingly in Jalilabad, Khachmaz, Ismayilli region and Sumgayit city were mentioned in appeals submitted by Gulaga Aslanly to Central Election (Referendum) Commission on January 21, 23 and 24 of January, 2009 and members of expert group established within Central Election (Referendum) Commission investigated them and at the meeting of Central Election (Referendum) Commission it was decided not to satisfy the appeals due to lack of grounds.

 

Regarding cases took place in Lenkeran and Neftchala, the appeal did not contain any information on the place, time, address and persons committed illegal actions, there was not enough evidences provided on assumed violations during the investigation and no information and complaints were submitted to relevant constituency commissions.

 

No cases on interference with the process of signatures collecting, withdrawal of signatures and spoiling of signature sheets by police and local executive authorities were registered within the territory of referred constituencies. The authorized representative did not provide any evidences on this issue.

Due to the presence of the relevant decisions of authorized bodies on the part of cases mentioned in the appeal, it was considered impossible to examine essence of the same issues at second time.
Thus, Central Election Commission made a decision not to satisfy the appeal due to lack of grounds.
Other current issues were considered at the meeting.

The representatives of NDI, IFES and media representatives participated at the meeting of Central Election Commission.