Polling In Azerbaijan Presidential Election Starts

The polling for presidential election started on Wednesday at 8.00 a.m. in Azerbaijan as 5.314 million registered voters would use their right to vote and elect their next president for seven years.

BAKU, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) ::The polling for presidential election started on Wednesday at 8.00 a.m. in Azerbaijan as 5.314 million registered voters would use their right to vote and elect their next president for seven years.

The Central Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements including installation of 1,000 Web cameras , setting up of polling stations in missions of Azerbaijan abroad to conduct election in a free and transparent manner.

"There exist 125 Constituencies and the Commission has established 5641 polling stations, of which 215 are temporary while 41 have been set-up in foreign countries to facilitate Azerbaijani expatriates", it added.

There are eight candidates named Gudrat Hasanguliyev from the Whole Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Araz Alizade from the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Faraj Guliyev from the National Revival Movement Party, Razi Nurullayev from the Frontists Initiative Group, Hafiz Hajiyev from the Modern Musavat Party, self-nominee Zahid Oruj ,Sardar Mammadov from the Azerbaijan Democratic Party and incumbent President Ilham from the New Azerbaijan Party who are contesting for the slot.

The authorities concerned have established 41 polling stations outside Azerbaijan for the presidential election and as many as 13,820 voters are expected to cast their vote in these polling stations abroad.

Moreover, the CEC has accredited 890 international and 58,175 domestic observers to monitor the presidential election .The international observers represents 59 countries and 60 organisations including the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), PACE, CIS who are coming to Azerbaijan to monitor the presidential election.The basic objective is to ensure transparency.

Opportunities have also been provided for visually and physically disabled voters. mobile ramps are being used for the voters with mobility impairment to come to the polling station and vote. So, all polling stations have been made suitable for such voters.

The ramps will also facilitate the persons using wheelchair to come to polling stations independently and vote. The Commission also focused on voter education and many projects were carried out in this field. The voting will end at 7.00 p.m.