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INTERNATIONAL MEDIA: AZERBAIJANIS GO TO POLLS IN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR, APATHY AND NO ALTERNATIVE
15:28 09/10/2013 " IN THE WORLD
Today the people of Azerbaijan are voting in an election in which the
incumbent President, Ilham Aliyev, is expected to win a third term
in office, the BBC writes in an article and notes that the president
has not even run an election campaign.
"He has stifled dissent and pushed through a constitutional referendum
scrapping presidential term limits. Human rights groups say in the
run-up to the elections the government has launched an unprecedented
crackdown on its critics," the material says. According to BBC the
pre-election atmosphere has been characterized by a combination of
apathy and fear.
German editorial Deutsche Welle notes that according to the critics
though the elections in Azerbaijan to be held on October 9 will not
be free and fair, the West will largely refrain from criticizing the
Azerbaijani government, as far as the "Brussels and Baku relations are
based on energy." Regional experts like Uwe Halbach from the German
Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), however,
stated that "in the media, the president predominates and there is
bullying of the opposition and limitations put on freedom of assembly."
According to voice of America unexpected situations can hardly occur
in Azerbaijan during the presidential elections. "An Aliyev - either
father, Haydar, or son, Ilham - has ruled Azerbaijan for 32 of the
last 44 years," the article reads.
According to the source, Ilham Aliyev has steadily increased his share
of the vote during his decade as Azerbaijan's president. "In 2003, he
received 76 percent of votes cast. In 2008, he received 87 percent. In
the last parliamentary election, his supporters took all the seats,"
the Voice of America writes.
Yesterday The Guardian published the article of the Azerbaijani
opposition leader Jamil Hasanli, where the latter states that "since
the incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, inherited power from his late father
10 years ago, Azerbaijan has become mired in rampant corruption,
and the ruling regime has grown ever more authoritarian and ruthless."
"Aliyev has never won a free and fair election and knows he cannot
win this one. Elections and referendums in Azerbaijan have been marked
by widespread electoral fraud and vote-rigging. Having taken control
of all electoral commissions in the country, the Aliyev regime has
now intensified its ongoing crackdown against independent media, the
opposition and civil society, prompting condemnation and statements
of concern from international human rights organisations and the EU,"
Hasanli says in his article and calls Nagorno Karabakh "a disputed
region."
The international Civic Solidarity Platform published an article titled
"Five things Aliyev doesn't want you to know about Azerbaijan's
presidential election." The material notes that the human rights
situation in Azerbaijan is worse than ever before. According to
the article there are 142 people locked up for political reasons in
Azerbaijan. Secondly, Aliyev has gotten far greater media coverage
in the country than any of his opponents. Thirdly, the opposition
is challenging Aliyev's right to run for a third term. Fourthly,
the authors of the article note, that Azerbaijan has not had a fair
and free election since Aliyev came to power. It adds at the end that
Azerbaijan is failing to fulfill its human rights obligations with
all major international bodies.
Source: Panorama.am
15:28 09/10/2013 " IN THE WORLD
Today the people of Azerbaijan are voting in an election in which the
incumbent President, Ilham Aliyev, is expected to win a third term
in office, the BBC writes in an article and notes that the president
has not even run an election campaign.
"He has stifled dissent and pushed through a constitutional referendum
scrapping presidential term limits. Human rights groups say in the
run-up to the elections the government has launched an unprecedented
crackdown on its critics," the material says. According to BBC the
pre-election atmosphere has been characterized by a combination of
apathy and fear.
German editorial Deutsche Welle notes that according to the critics
though the elections in Azerbaijan to be held on October 9 will not
be free and fair, the West will largely refrain from criticizing the
Azerbaijani government, as far as the "Brussels and Baku relations are
based on energy." Regional experts like Uwe Halbach from the German
Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), however,
stated that "in the media, the president predominates and there is
bullying of the opposition and limitations put on freedom of assembly."
According to voice of America unexpected situations can hardly occur
in Azerbaijan during the presidential elections. "An Aliyev - either
father, Haydar, or son, Ilham - has ruled Azerbaijan for 32 of the
last 44 years," the article reads.
According to the source, Ilham Aliyev has steadily increased his share
of the vote during his decade as Azerbaijan's president. "In 2003, he
received 76 percent of votes cast. In 2008, he received 87 percent. In
the last parliamentary election, his supporters took all the seats,"
the Voice of America writes.
Yesterday The Guardian published the article of the Azerbaijani
opposition leader Jamil Hasanli, where the latter states that "since
the incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, inherited power from his late father
10 years ago, Azerbaijan has become mired in rampant corruption,
and the ruling regime has grown ever more authoritarian and ruthless."
"Aliyev has never won a free and fair election and knows he cannot
win this one. Elections and referendums in Azerbaijan have been marked
by widespread electoral fraud and vote-rigging. Having taken control
of all electoral commissions in the country, the Aliyev regime has
now intensified its ongoing crackdown against independent media, the
opposition and civil society, prompting condemnation and statements
of concern from international human rights organisations and the EU,"
Hasanli says in his article and calls Nagorno Karabakh "a disputed
region."
The international Civic Solidarity Platform published an article titled
"Five things Aliyev doesn't want you to know about Azerbaijan's
presidential election." The material notes that the human rights
situation in Azerbaijan is worse than ever before. According to
the article there are 142 people locked up for political reasons in
Azerbaijan. Secondly, Aliyev has gotten far greater media coverage
in the country than any of his opponents. Thirdly, the opposition
is challenging Aliyev's right to run for a third term. Fourthly,
the authors of the article note, that Azerbaijan has not had a fair
and free election since Aliyev came to power. It adds at the end that
Azerbaijan is failing to fulfill its human rights obligations with
all major international bodies.
Source: Panorama.am