According to the information given to APA from the Information Office of Council of Europe in Baku, the delegation – the largest observation team ever deployed by the Assembly – will be in the country from 4 to 7 November.

It will meet the authorities, representatives of parties contesting the election, electoral officials and members of civil society and will observe polling on the day of the vote. The observers will announce their conclusions at a final press conference in Baku on 7 November (time and place to be confirmed). Mr Platvoet, who headed a pre-election delegation which visited the country from 11 to 13 October, said he welcomed recent moves by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev to ensure transparent elections, including plans to ink voters’ fingers and his pledge to prosecute officials who interfere in the electoral process.

“This responds to some of the recommendations we made to the President during our visit, and should contribute towards making these elections more democratic. This is a crucial opportunity for Azerbaijan to show it can uphold Council of Europe democratic standards which, as a member of our organization, it has promised to do."

A member of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, which has assessed the compatibility of Azerbaijan’s electoral code with European standards jointly with OSCE/ODIHR, will also accompany the delegation.

APA