US Shares OSCE Observers' Concerns Regarding Elections in Azerbaijan

The United States shares the concerns expressed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) regarding the elections held in Azerbaijan on September 1. Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US State Department, stated this in a briefing with reporters.

“We share the observations and concerns of the OSCE ODIHR observation mission regarding the parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan on September 1. We call on Azerbaijan to implement the previous recommendations made by the OSCE, as well as any forthcoming suggestions, and to allow its people to exercise their fundamental freedoms in accordance with the country’s constitution and international commitments,” Miller announced.

The head of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission, Dritan Bushati, stated after the elections that they did not meet democratic standards and occurred in a restrictive political and legal environment, which did not allow for genuine pluralism and resulted in a lack of competition. In regards to violations during the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, the EU has also urged the authorities of the country to accept and implement the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR related to these and previous elections.