NDI PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS ON AZERBAIJAN'S NOVEMBER 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS Baku, July 14, 2005

Opening Statement by Madeleine K. Albright I am here as the chairman of the board of the National Democratic Institute, a remarkable organization, that for the last 20 years has been engaged in political party development in over 50 countries all over the world. I'm also here as a friend of Azerbaijan. I had many important meetings with President Hydar Aliyev over the years. I have renewed my friendship with Ilham Aliyev and many other Azeri leaders across the political spectrum. While I no longer speak for the United States government, I know that the relationship between Azerbaijan and the United States is a very important one. I would like to recognize Ambassador Harnish, who is here today, and his embassy team, who play an excellent role in supporting our efforts. I have spent two days in Baku, and I must say that I give myself very high marks for hard work. I have listened to many questions and concerns and participated in what many would agree were very lively discussions, and I learned a lot. There is a great deal of international interest in Azerbaijan for a number of reasons. It is a country at an important stage in its economic and political development—in a region with many challenges—between two large neighbors—and also with a long-time simmering internal dispute. It has an energetic new leader and is entering upon a crucial election period for a new parliament—quite a mix. NDI knows that democracies can learn a lot from each other. Obviously election day is important, but the months leading up to the election are also crucial. A key part of democracy is the existence of vibrant opposition parties. Being a member of the Democratic Party, which is now in opposition in my country, I understand how important it is to be respected in opposition, and I also appreciate the responsibilities that come with being part of a democratic opposition. NDI also knows from our worldwide experience that the following elements are key to success in achieving democratic elections and democracy more broadly—in addition to developing vibrant opposition parties: The freedom of association; The freedom of expression; The freedom of assembly; The freedom of movement; And, of course, freedom of a diverse media is crucial. The presence of both international and domestic non-governmental organizations is important to holding democratic elections, as is, ultimately, the rule of law. In every meeting and discussion I had, every participant of those discussions committed to organizing free and fair elections in November. I really was very satisfied with my meetings here—all of them—and I am very appreciative of the hospitality you have shown me, and I leave here with the very strong hope, expectation and belief that there will be a peaceful evolution of democracy and prosperity for the people of Azerbaijan—no one deserves it more. To repeat, I'm very proud of the work NDI has done everywhere, and I'm very pleased that my conversations indicated that we will have a fruitful relationship here. I would now like to introduce Pat Merloe, who is in charge of NDIs election programs around the world. He will highlight a few of the important points raised during our meetings. Remarks by Pat Merloe Thank you Secretary Albright. Good morning, and thank you all for coming. This is my sixth visit to Azerbaijan. I first came to Baku in 1995 to represent NDI at the official opening of our office here. I have been here during three elections and at other times as well. Just as important, I have led or participated in more than 130 NDI missions to more than 50 countries, and I have come to know the challenges of democratic elections and building democracy in a variety of difficult settings. We heard from many people what they consider to be the key things needed in this country to achieve democratic parliamentary elections. Let me summarize for you a few of them. There is widespread concern about the composition of the election commissions at all levels and a great desire among many to give parity on the election commissions to the political competitors. The Venice Commission and OSCE have offered a recommendation to add one member of the opposition to the commissions, and this seems like a reasonable solution in the present circumstances. We hope that it will be adopted. The Venice Commission and OSCE have made a number of other recommendations concerning the election law and environment. They deserve support and implementation. I would like to highlight the important role of domestic and international election observers for building public confidence in the election process and providing a means of citizen participation. The law prohibiting Azeri organizations from observing elections if they receive more than 30 percent of their funding from abroad is uniquely restrictive. I know of no such law in any other country—and this and other obstacles to election monitoring by domestic and recognized international organizations should be removed. We were encouraged by the ability of parties to organize large rallies recently—free from violence on all sides—and we hope that the ability to campaign freely without interference by authorities at any level of government continues as a normal part of politics in Azerbaijan. We urge all parties to vigorously campaign and to encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote. We heard much about the need for the rule of law to be extended in the electoral area, and about the need for prosecution of cases that concern past election fraud. Some 109 cases have been sent by the CEC to the Prosecutor General's office, and it would do much to increase public confidence if those cases were acted upon in order to break a sense of impunity for committing election abuses. Another issue that we heard much about is the media. Access to the media and fair coverage are key to truly democratic elections. We hope that state media will take effective steps to realize this, that the public television begins broadcasting very soon and does the same and that private media are free and also respect these principles. Voter lists have been a particular problem in past elections in this country, and we heard much about this as well. We were encouraged by assurances from the CEC that the lists will be accurate and posted publicly for inspection and correction this year in accordance with the timing provided by law. We hope that this is accomplished in order to ensure that every eligible person has a real opportunity to vote and illegal voting is curtailed. Also in this regard, a proposal has been made to use indelible ink to mark a finger once a person has voted in order to prevent multiple voting. This would build confidence, and we hope the proposal is accepted. Many of these points were covered in President Ilham Aliyev's May 11 decree on elections. We commend the issuance of this decree—which restates many of the provisions of the law and constitution—and we hope that all of its provisions are effectively implemented. These points do not constitute an exhaustive list, and more issues will undoubtedly emerge as the elections approach. We do not come here to preach to you about how to organize democratic elections, nor do we intend to offer a recipe for creating them. Azeri authorities, the political parties and candidates and citizen groups have to take up their responsibilities and work actively to achieve democratic elections. In places like Azerbaijan—where democracy is not well-established and there has been a troubled electoral history—extraordinary steps are needed if citizens are to develop confidence that genuinely democratic elections are to be held and the country is to move forward on many fronts to make a better life for its people. NDI is prepared to help political parties, candidates, citizen organizations and the government to achieve these and other points needed for truly democratic parliamentary elections this November. However, elections—while a prerequisite to democracy—are just one element of it. There must be an ongoing discourse for democracy to be realized—a discourse that peacefully and respectfully involves citizens, political competitors and those in government. We hope that such a discourse will evolve in the weeks and months ahead. We would like to acknowledge and thank USAID and the US Embassy and others for their support for the Institute's work in Azerbaijan. We are now ready for questions. Thank you.