The report on the Azerbaijani presidential elections was discussed and approved today during the meeting of the PACE Standing Committee, the APA agency reports on Friday.
British lawmaker Robert Walter said a number of parliamentarians and international missions that observed the elections regarded these elections as the expression of the Azerbaijani people’s will.
“I was very disappointed that the international observation mission could not demonstrate a common position. But, in fact, the difference between the positions of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and other organizations is an old problem. This organization even tried to force the PACE observation mission to take its position, exerting pressure on it. My major concern regarding the ODIHR is that this organization is trying to reflect only negative points. This is not a right position, a number of aspects of the issue should be taken into account. Of course, the country still has some problems. On the election day observers detected some problems and shortcomings. Democratic processes should be continued in Azerbaijan and we should continue our activity in this direction. The results of the elections showed that Ilham Aliyev got 85% of the votes. He is the legitimate president of Azerbaijan and this fact is undeniable,” Walter is quoted by APA as saying.
