The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (hereinafter SCO or Organisation) is the largest regional international organisation globally, playing a significant role in shaping a fair and distinctive model of international cooperation across political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, reflecting the interests of all its member states. Currently, the SCO encompasses one-third of the Eurasian continent, home to over 47 percent of the world’s population. Collectively, the member states of the Organisation account for more than a quarter of the global GDP.
One of the SCO’s political goals is to implement international observation of presidential and parliamentary elections, as well as referendums. Since 2004, the SCO has organised 72 election observation missions, primarily in its member states.
This marks the fourth time that, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, an observation mission has been established in the Republic of Azerbaijan, which holds the status of an SCO dialogue partner.
From 30 August to 1 September 2024, the SCO Mission monitored the preparation for and holding of the elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Mission views the invitation of international observers as a sign of the Azerbaijani leadership's commitment to ensuring the openness, transparency, and democratic nature of the parliamentary elections.
1. Mission’s composition
The Mission comprised 16 accredited observers, including representatives from the legislative, executive, and electoral bodies of eight SCO member states: the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as officials from the SCO Secretariat. The Mission was led by SCO Deputy Secretary- General Nuran Niyazaliev.
The Mission included:
From the Republic of Belarus: Ivan Khlebakazov, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Azerbaijan;
From the Islamic Republic of Iran: Yagub Rezazadeh, representative and member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament; Mohsen Sadeghi Goudarzi, Head of the Department of Foreign Missions and Passport Ceremonies of the Iranian Parliament; and Ali Khezrian, representative and member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament;
From the Republic of Kazakhstan: Kazbek Maigeldinov, member of the Almaty city election commission;
From the People’s Republic of China: Zhang Wei, adviser at the Department of European and Central Asian Countries at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Li Xuanye, attaché at the Department of European and Central Asian Countries at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
From the Kyrgyz Republic: Akbalyk Zhumalieva, member of the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums of the Kyrgyz Republic;
From the Russian Federation: Anatoly Shirokov, Senator of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Sergei Leonov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; and Elmira Khaimurzina, member of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation;
From the Republic of Tajikistan: Makhfirat Umar Khidirzoda, member of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tajikistan;
From the Republic of Uzbekistan: Bakhodirjon Yunusov, member of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
From the SCO Secretariat: Dmitry Kulenkov, Second Category Expert; and Margulan Ibraimov, Referent;
2. International law framework and principles of the Mission’s work
The members of the Mission carried out their duties in accordance with the Statute of the SCO Observer Mission at Presidential and/or Parliamentary Elections, as well as Referendums, approved by a decision of the SCO Foreign Ministers Council in 2006, as well as the extensive practical experience of monitoring elections in various countries accumulated over 20 years.
The Mission’s activities were based on the principles of objectivity, political neutrality, openness, lack of bias and non-interference in the domestic affairs of states. They also strictly adhered to the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Mission’s conclusions and findings were derived from the personal observations of its members and the information materials that were collected prior to and during the parliamentary elections on 1 September 2024.
3. The Mission’s activities
On 16 August 2024, having obtained the consent of all SCO member states to send an SCO Observer Mission to the Republic of Azerbaijan, the SCO Secretary-General established a Working Group within the SCO Secretariat and began appointing members of the Mission.
The Head of the Mission, an SCO Deputy Secretary-General, and the other members of the Mission held official meetings with the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan, secretaries and members of local and precinct election commissions, voters, observers from foreign states and international organisations, as well as local and public observers and representatives of the media.
Members of the Mission obtained essential information from Azerbaijani electoral bodies, as well as copies of electoral documents, without any delay. They freely visited all polling stations and voting premises. They closely observed the Central Election Commission’s work to prepare for and hold the elections in the country and at diplomatic missions of the Republic of Azerbaijan abroad. They also assessed campaigning activities of election participants during the election campaign, as well as the handling of complaints related to violations of the election legislation in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Republic of Azerbaijan created all essential conditions for the Mission’s work and allowed its members to comprehensively monitor all aspects of preparations for and holding of the elections. This demonstrates the high level of transparency and openness in the election process, further affirming its democratic nature.
4. The legislative framework for holding elections in the Republic of Azerbaijan
The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and other regulatory legal acts of the President, Parliament and Government of Azerbaijan regulating preparations for elections and their conduct, as well as decisions of the Central Election Commission for implementing the above legal acts, form the legislative framework of elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
On 28 June 2024, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan issued a Directive on holding early elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 1 September 2024, in accordance with Article 98.1 and Article 109.1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as Article 145.1 of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Under Article 84 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, each convocation of the Milli Majlis is elected for a period of five years through universal, equal and direct suffrage and by free, personal and secret ballot.
Under Article 2 of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, voters take part in elections on a free and voluntary basis. No one has the right to manipulate voters and to force them to cast their ballots or abstain from doing so, and no one can hamper the free expression of their will.
5. System of electoral bodies
Azerbaijan’s electoral bodies are traditional and form a three-stage hierarchy that includes:
1) The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
2) District election commissions (DEC): 125 DECs were created and currently operate throughout the republic;
3) Precinct election commissions (PEC): 6,478 PECs were created and operated in the republic.
6. The political parties and candidates for deputies that took part in the parliamentary elections
Deputies of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan are elected based on the majority election system through general, equal, and direct elections through free, personal and secret ballot. The legislature has 125 deputies elected for a five-year term.
Any citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan over the age of 18 can be elected to the Milli Majlis in accordance with the procedure established by the law.
A total of 990 candidates participated in the election, with 305 nominated by 25 political parties, 684 self-nominated, and one candidacy put forward by action groups.
The following political parties took part in the election:
1. Azerbaijan Popular Party
2. Azerbaijan Democrat Party
3. National Front Party
4. Party of Justice, Law, and Democracy
5. National Independence of Azerbaijan Party
6. Great Azerbaijan Party
7. AG Party
8. Republican Alternative Party
9. Civic Solidarity Party
10. New Azerbaijan Party
11. Azerbaijan Hope Party;
12. Great Order Party
13.Democratic Reforms Party
14. Motherland Party
15. Musavat;
16. Classical Popular Front Party
17. Free Motherland Party
18. National Revival Movement Party
19. New Time Party
20. Law and Justice Party
21. Modern Musavat Party
22. Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party
23. Future Azerbaijan Party;
24.Unity Party
25. Justice Party.
7. Preparations for the elections
To hold the elections at a high organisational level, the Central Election Commission issuedResolution № 15/53 of 29 June 2024, approving the Calendar Plan of Main Actions and Events to Prepare and Hold the Early Election to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1 September 2024).
All relevant state authorities efficiently and promptly fulfilled their tasks as required by national laws.
Specific measures implemented include:
— The CEC fully updated voter lists. The resulting database was checked using specialised software, and the latest version was posted on the Central Election Commission’s website. The total number of eligible voters was 6,421,960.
— The CEC provided the lower-level election commissions with all necessary printed materials, ballot boxes, invisible ink, ultraviolet lamps and batteries, polling booths, security locks, ballot bags, messenger bags, office supplies, and other required items.
8. Use of video surveillance systems
The use of webcams that has been effectively implemented in Azerbaijan’s electorate practice for 16 years already and showing live the process of voting at the polling stations on the election day at the Internet platform available to everybody, providing for non-stop monitoring throughout the day without physical presence there, was also utilised at these parliamentary elections. Webcams are installed at 1,000 polling stations all over the country.
To control the webcams the Central Election Commission established a technical centre, which made it possible to directly monitor the election process in more than 15 percent of all polling stations and greatly facilitated the work of the election observation bodies. Anyone with access to the Internet could observe the voting and counting process in real time on the official CEC website (https://www.msk.gov.az/). Another positive aspect of using webcams was that applications, complaints and appeals by citizens and other election participants on voting issues could be verified using materials from the webcams.
9. Use of modern technical means and information technologies
To make the elections honest, transparent and open polling stations used special invisible ink to mark voters’ fingers. The markings do not disappear for several days thereafter. Ultraviolet detectors were also used to verify them.
Special training sessions were organised for election commissions’ members whose duties included monitoring and verifying finger marking. This technology served as a reliable means to prevent multiple voting by one and the same person.
10. Materials on elections
The CEC organised publication of various books, magazines, compilations, handbooks, manuals and instructions to raise awareness among election commission members, candidates to the Milli Majlis, international and domestic observers, voters and all other election stakeholders. All documents are available on the CEC website in Azerbaijani and English languages, which greatly simplified studying and applying the country's legislation.
The CEC prepared handouts with useful information on monitoring for international observers as well as brochures on voting procedures for voters. The police received memos with explanations of their rights and obligations during the elections.
11. Public outreach activities
The CEC and other national agencies undertook necessary measures to promptly inform Azerbaijani and international public on the parliamentary elections.
The website of the CEC and its information centre regularly posted data in Azerbaijani and English on the candidates to the Milli Majlis, membership, addresses and contact details of the election commissions, on-line maps of their location, voters lists, press releases and other materials of public interest. The CEC web pages in social media were opened and updated periodically.
Television and radio channels as well as social networks broadcast various educational videos. Information posters encouraging voters to actively participate in the elections, containing information on voting procedures, etc. were displayed in public places, and such information was also published on social media. They printed notices for voters containing information of an educational nature, including addresses of polling stations, voting hours, a list of documents to be used for voting, voting and other relevant procedures.
12. Educational programmes
To upgrade knowledge and professional skills of participants in the election process, the Republic of Azerbaijan ran a number of educational campaigns, including conferences for DEC personnel, regional workshops dedicated to consideration of reports about election law violations (jointly with the Law and Human Rights Institute), meetings and seminars for people planning to go to the polls for the first time (jointly with the Azerbaijan Student Youth Organisations’ Union), seminars and meetings designed to promote voting activity of women (jointly with the State Committee for the Family, Women, and Children), and regional workshops on solving electoral disputes (jointly with the Supreme Court and courts of appeal).
13. Election campaigning
Pursuant to Article 75 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, election campaigning began 23 days before the voting day and was wound up 24 hours before the start of voting, which means that it continued from 9 August to 31 August 2024.
Measures within the framework of election campaigning were held openly and covered by the media in strict conformity with the national laws.
Under the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, election campaigning methods include:
— using the media;
— holding mass-scale events (conferences and meetings with voters, debates, discussions, etc.);
— disseminating printed, audio, video, and other promotional materials;
— other lawful methods.
The Mission notes that the election to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan took place on a broad competitive basis with an active involvement of civil society; favourable conditions were created for voters to make an independent and well-considered choice.
14. International observers
The CEC registered 598 international observers from 69 countries and 51 international organisations, as well as over 112,000 local observers, who volunteered to monitor the early elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Along with the SCO, monitoring missions were sent by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organisation of Turkic States, the Islamic Cooperation Organisation, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and others.
15. Voting day
1 September 2024, the designated voting day, was declared a non-working day in accordance with the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
On voting day, members of the Mission arrived at polling stations before they opened, observing the preparation of ballots and the sealing of both stationary and mobile ballot boxes.
To ensure a comprehensive representation of the electoral process across different areas of Azerbaijan, the Mission conducted international observation in Baku and its surrounding regions.
During the preparation phase and on voting day, Mission members visited 57 polling stations.
The observers conducted their visits without requiring consent from the executive or electoral bodies of Azerbaijan, with each member independently selecting which stations to visit. There were no restrictions or obstacles to visiting any specific station.
The Mission observed active voter participation and noted the high level of professionalism displayed by the precinct election commissions’ staff.
The members of the precinct election commissions ensured that the necessary conditions were in place for the voting process, maintained impartiality throughout, and provided thorough explanations to voters as needed. They were responsive and attentive to voters, as well as to local, public, and international observers, and journalists.
The precinct election commissions were fully equipped with all necessary documentation and informational materials, including observer registration logs, methodological guides, duty schedules, evacuation plans, and other documents.
The work of the election commissions was conducted professionally, with a focus on openness, transparency, and independence.
Voting at the polling stations proceeded smoothly, adhering to established procedures and under the observation of local, public, and international observers, as well as media representatives.
Members of the Mission were also present during the closing of the polling stations, the counting of votes, and the signing of the election commission protocols on the voting results.
No complaints or concerns were reported to the Mission representatives on the day of the vote.
16. Main conclusions
In conducting its observation, the Mission operates under the principle that elections are primarily for the people, aiming to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country rather than for international observers.
The Mission affirms that the elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan were conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution and the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the country’s international obligations.
The Mission observed no violations of national electoral laws that would call into question the legitimacy of the elections.
No infringements were identified that would have impeded the free expression of the citizens’ will.
The Mission found no evidence of external interference, including any pressure on precinct election commissions’ members.
The Mission considers the elections to have been transparent, credible, and democratic.
The Mission concludes that the parliamentary elections to the Milli Majlis were a significant step forward in advancing democratic processes in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Mission extends its congratulations to the people of Azerbaijan on the election of the new seventh convocation of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It wishes them success in advancing the country’s independence, sovereignty, and socio-economic development, and in achieving new milestones across all sectors of society.
The Observer Mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation also expresses its sincere gratitude to the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and other organisations and institutions for their comprehensive assistance and support throughout the mission.
Observer Mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Baku, 1 September 2024
