Azerbaijan's long tradition of carousel voting- we know it very well!

When you are from Azerbaijan and have seen a few elections in your life time, you know very well all the various kinds of violations and fraud that take place on the day of the elections. One of these frauds is carousel voting. While the name might remind you of your childhood memories, the act itself is something in some countries people might get arrested for, because it is at the end of the day, a version of fraud. 

So let me tell you briefly how it happens in case you don't know- a group of men and women get dressed and with their ID cards head to the polling station on the day of the election. They walk in, sign up, and fulfill their duty as a citizen. 

But that day, their duty isn't just voting. Their duty is to vote as many times as possible before they get caught (or unless they get caught). But even then, there is no guarantee that the very same people wont' show up at another precinct all set up for yet another "fraud vote". 

I consider myself lucky, because I have actually seen the "heroes" of this act myself. 

Two years ago, I was an independent observer during the Presidential election in Azerbaijan. I was at my precinct observing two polling stations. There were four other independent observers. I was the only one with a camera which startled the head of the polling station at first. He frantically demanded that I show him my press card which I didn't have to have as an officially registered observer. After nagging and questions which seemed to last a lifetime, I finally pulled out my media accreditation as well. Which shut him up, luckily but only briefly. Each time I took my camera out, he jumped up and down (certainly not of the excitement) and tried his best to divert my attention. Long story short, I received several terrible comments from a few teachers employed by the school calling me all sorts of names because I was "obstructing" their job which consisted of rigging votes. And they had no shame, they were doing it in front of my very own eyes, in public. 

But back to carousel voting and what I saw that day. 

So earlier I saw a woman who came wearing big sun glasses that covered most of her face. She had long hair in a ponytail. She was also dressed nicely. She came alone. I took a picture of her, thinking about why people in Azerbaijan like to wear sunglasses in closed spaces. 

Few hours later, as I stood in my spot watching people come in and register I saw the same woman, this time, with no make up and she of course ditched the sun glasses. This time she was with a kid. 

When I asked the jittery head of the polling station about her, he literally told me not to worry and that she wasn't voting again (even though as he was talking to me she took the ballot and went into the booth) and that she was simply "responsible for making sure people in her neighborhood all cast their votes that day". 

I didn't say much. I smiled. Stepped aside and watched the rest of the circus in silence. It was then when I realized there was no point. No matter how many international or independent observers were there that day, no matter how many questions I asked and comments I made, it was all decided a long time ago and there was nothing I could do. 

So I was not surprised at all, when I saw this video shared my Meydan TV with the head of the Lankaran District Executive Office giving orders to the "electorate" as to whom and how they should vote on November 1.

This is how Aliyev rolls folks. Oh and if you still think there will be different results, just make sure you are not betting that day, YAP will win with a bunch of fake "opposition" and "independent" candidates.

Azerbaijan's Upcoming Elections

An article that appeared today on News.az [ENG] talks about importance of elections in Azerbaijan but more so, it highlights importance of Ilham Aliyev's re-elections for another term. The article is a reference to another piece that appeared in a Turkish paper Takvim [TR].

The author of the article Bulent Erandac claims Aliyev's re-election to be crucial for Turkey- Azerbaijan relations. According to the author, "In these [upcoming elections, scheduled for October 16] election of President Aliyev for a third term is closely linked to Turkey's place in the faith of the Caucasus. Ilham Aliyev played an important role in mutual relationship of the two countries sharing the same language, religion and history". 

Erandac reminds its readers of Aliyev's recent speech where the incumbent President spoke of close ties between the two countries. "Our hearts beat the same. Turkey is our important sibling, friend, and partner in the world. I am certain, that for Turkey too Azerbaijan is number one friend, sibling, and partner in the world". 

These are some very strong words. But it is for the people of Azerbaijan to decide who will be their next president. Especially taking into the account corruption, deeply embedded issues with democracy and human rights that overshadowed development of Azerbaijan in the past decade under the current president.

Perhaps someone also needs to remind Erandac of the past elections (both presidential and parliamentary) and the many violations during the election period in the past.

And then there is a debate around the "friendly" relations between the two countries ["one nation, two states" motto]. A reality check- there isn't much going on apart from business relations. When was the last time Turkish and Azerbaijani civil societies done something together? Or when was the last time Turkey reacted to the arrests of journalists, political activists and the approach to the overall state of freedom of the press in Azerbaijan?

The upcoming presidential elections will determine the faith of the country over the next presidential term. Surely, Erandac and many others in Turkey would appreciate to deal and develop more mutually friendly relations with a more democratic country. This would also play a bigger role in the region at large. 

But perhaps old friendships and habits are hard to break... 

New Azerbaijan-a movie in the making?

Taking a break from the news in Turkey, its time for me to say few words on whats been happening back home in Azerbaijan. 

For starters, for the first time in many years, Azerbaijani opposition finally came together and formed a National Council of Democratic Forces (I will put emphasis on "agreeing" here, because that seemed rather challenging before). They also chose its official face- Rustam Ibrahimbeyov. In the early 90s, Ibrahimbeyov co-wrote the screenplay for "Burnt by the sun" which won the Oscar in the category for the best foreign film. Few days ago, the Council announced Ibrahimbeyov's candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for October. 

Surely, the ruling government reacted swiftly to the announcement. "Our candidate will get majority of votes" announced Mubariz Gurbanly, member of the ruling party's political council. Once again, reminding me of a child arguing with a friend over whose dad is better and stronger. In another anti- Ibrahimbeyov statement, a senior member of the ruling YAP, Siyavush Novruzov said, "He will only embarrass him and the political parties united behind him". Why would a "senior" political party member say something as "unsenior" as this is interesting. One would expect a more heavy weight statement (or not statement at all?!)

And then there are the never ending conspiracy theories- not only in Turkey but also in Azerbaijan, suggestions that an "interest lobby" is omnipresent whenever something new is happening in Azerbaijan is something we all are used to by now. There are jealous forces out there, wanting to ruin the ever so blossoming Azerbaijan. If this is not a perfect screenplay for a movie then what is it?! I think it will make an excellent blockbuster.

So will an Oscar winning screenwriter manage to stand the leading villain of the movie we will see in few months. For now, its going to be interesting to see further government's reaction. Someone should keep a record of these though, might be gems for a screenplay. Don't tell me later I never said so...

In case you didn't know, Azerbaijan is also the sports power in the world

Oh yeah, this is a first. Or at least for me as I have heard many things we are "number one" in the world for but in sports, that is a first for me. 

In a statement by Mubariz Gurbanli, deputy executive secretary of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party, few other things were noted. Surely, late president was not omitted and so wasn't his son (how could that be?!). Gurbanli noted Azerbaijan's growing influence in the world in all spheres of life including sports "Azerbaijan is seen as a sports power in the world". 

A message to Azerbaijan's "enemy" too was thrown among the lines "Azerbaijan's achievements in sport are further evidence of the ideological victory of the country over the enemy".

I am happy to hear we have an up- and- coming sportsmen and women competing at world's sporting events, but to say we are "the best" simply ain't right. There are far better countries whose athletes are much better than ours. No need to exaggerate, we just need to take a look at Olympic game stats. But then, exaggeration is what our officials to best. They just loooooooove to say things like this.

Similarly, I came across this photo shared today on Facebook that pretty much says, Azerbaijanis were also very much involved in discovery of the United States :)

Azerbaijan's textbook for 8th graders

Rough translation: During America's discovery, accomplishments of Azerbaijani science were instrumental. First of all, before Columbus discovered America, 200 years prior, Azerbaijani scientist, N. Tusi's calculations already indicated existence of the mainland. On the other hand, Columbus's teacher Toskanelli, was aware of Tusi's work and learned much from him. It is without doubt that Toskanelli taught Columbus the knowledge he learned from Tusi. Therefore, Azerbaijani science played a big role in discovery of America.

All hail the King!

Just before New Year, the ruling party of Azerbaijan- YAP- needed one last event to praise the king and praise they did. It was a grand New Year present from Santa YAP. On December 24th, YAP organized an event "Azerbaijan 2013: new targets, new victories". Ruling party members were there, parliament members were there, but just to add a bit of diversity, representatives of international organizations were invited too. I guess without them it would have been a little all- YAP- party. 

You wont be surprised what the guests talked about at this event. Well, if you are reading state newspapers and watching state TV you didn't miss much- a lot of praise here and there and there you have it: another "successful" event of the year in the pocket, ticked, and filed (though I am doubtful about filing). So the usual "toasts" were raised- health, strength, wisdom to the all-mighty king Aliyev and his father. Without them who knows where Azerbaijani would have been today. 

Ali Ahmadov, deputy chairman and executive secretary of the ruling party spoke of a successful year both for the people and the government. Something was mentioned about economic and social progress though not much was said about what that progress specifically was. Then a bit more about success of 2013, all of course under the guidance of the king. As always, Mr. Ahmadov, took the liberty to make a decision on behalf of Azerbaijani people on the subject of elections- every single Azerbaijani will vote for the president therefore, its going to be a 100% victory, just wait and see (sorry folks but you can't decide on your own, nor you are entitled to have an opinion and don't worry even if you decide not to head to the polls, your vote will be used anyway). In another interview Mr. Ahmadov also was quoted saying "It is in the interest of every family and every citizen" that Ilham Aliyev is re-elected in 2013 elections. Oh boy, I guess this is as explicit as it can get- for all those citizens and families who choose not to vote or vote for someone else (if there will be a someone else that is) this can only mean one thing- "winter is coming".

Another member of the ruling party, and the first deputy prime minister Yagub Eyubov, also spoke of social- economic progress, though once again, what that progress was about remained unexplained. Oh, almost forgot, Mr. Eyubov too said none of the progress would have been possible without the all mighty king. He said something about "precise scientific predictions" too, which confused me even more as I didn't know that the late president was Nostradamus or secretly possessed the power of "precise scientific predictions". There is so much to learn from the members of the ruling party. 

Similarly, first deputy speaker of the parliament, Ziyafet Asgarov, mentioned the progress achieved in the country too under the rule of the second kingdom and something about genes, wisdom and more success. This time however, we finally learned more about the achieved progress- democracy, secular state, formation of civil society and protection of human rights.

Shamsaddin Hajiyev, the chairman of the parliamentary committee for education and science didn't forget to hold the king responsible for all the great achievements in the field of economy.

Interesting that the article didn't mention any words of praise from diplomats and internationals attending the event. Perhaps, their opinion was not worth mentioning or maybe not interesting...

I guess at the end, the event guests, all completed a ritual raising their fists up in the air, shouting "All hail the King!"

Parliament for sale part 2- why there is no reaction from our very own parliament

A reaction on Facebook from a friend of mine, prompted me to write another post on this video scandal. And its a good point- why none of our so called democratically elected parliament members said anything about Guler Ahmadova's video? Why none of them came forward to say for instance that this is not true about the rest of them, that they haven't paid for their seats, or that they have been democratically elected, or that this is a terrible thing to happen and a disgrace to their reputation as the country's executive body... 

Here is probably why:

- Milli Majlis [MM] has been stripped of its many powers a very long time ago and is afraid to put in practice any of the powers it still posses;

- MM is merely a stamping machine approving everything sent in from "above";

- MM is not democratically elected body;

- MM members are afraid for their seats and mandates;

- As of 2010 MM consists of ruling party members;

and so on and so forth...

Truth hurts

Google Images

Azerbaijani authorities hate it when someone says something negative about whatever is happening in the country. When that happens at home, its easier to deal with - a drug charge here, a hooliganism charge there and the case is solved. The "violator" is put away behind bars and authorities are happy (at least for the time being). 

Things are not that simple when the criticism comes from somewhere outside the country's jurisdiction. That is when the country's leadership quickly resorts to "whatboutism" and "double standard" arguments. Suddenly the country that boasts about its democratic endeveours 24/7 switches to "we are a young democracy" argument, that is "in war" with a neighboring state and that there is still a long way to go and that European and other international institutions should cut this country's leadership some slack. Or close their eyes and ears and keep their democratic mouths shut here and there. 

Of course no one is saying that anyone is perfect. Perks exist everywhere, but what makes things different is how countries and institutions deal with these perks. Certainly in Azerbaijan, dealing with our perks is something unacceptable especially because why deal with problems when you can simply hide them away behind facades while just piling and piling and accumulating records and records of violations.

Case in point would be recent wave of protests and those people brave enough and committed enough to take the streets, whom the leadership of the country describes as hooligans, amateurs, and at times even psychopaths engaging in acts of illogical behavior, damaging private property, claiming to be nationalists wanting democracy and (this is my favorite) paid to be doing all of this by third countries and parties. 

Of course, if things were as the local leadership claims it to be then why would all those international institutions talk about these events? Why would they spend their valuable times to write reports and adopt resolutions about this? Surely Azerbaijani leadership can't claim that they too are hooligans, amateurs and psychopaths? 

Just look at the recent resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Azerbaijan on May 12th, 2011. Among many different shortcomings, the resolution mentioned closure of the Human Rights House as well as clampdown on freedom of expression and assembly. The resolution also called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release recently arrested young activists as well as journalists. 

Of course, Azerbaijani government was outraged. In a statement issued by the ruling party, its leadership claimed the resolution to be biased. "The country's people [wonder which people they are referring to because as far as I know, YAP doesn't really engage with people when it comes to doing a survey on democracy in Azerbaijan or anything else as a matter of fact apart from threatening people to join YAP sponsored rallies, concerts and events but thats another story] are concerned about a number of untrue clauses included into the resolution adopted at the plenary meeting of the European Parliament [...] The clauses about the violation of freedom of speech, media, freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan do not reflect reality [true, because in reality we don't have any journalists sitting behind bars and all requests filed by the opposition parties to hold rallies in downtown ares were always granted]. The clause about the political prisoners and arrest of persons for their political views is not true either, it was included into the document without having been investigated objectively". 

Really? The only reaction that the officials could come up with is this weak statement?  I hate to break it up to you but dear YAP, you couldn't have done worse. Perhaps its actually time to look at things in all their actual light? Perhaps not everyone is crazy and pretentious as you think they are? 

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps... 

So what... [updated]

Today was an important day for Azerbaijan. Today on November 7th, Azerbaijan went to the polls to elect its new 125 member parliament for its next 5- year term. But, despite all the preparations, and expectations, fraud and violations were present all over the polling stations with multiple voting and observer intimidation being some of the most popular ones. 

Reports were coming in throughout the day of these violations but so what... None of the police officers who have pressured the observers and took them to the police stations will get any punishment. None of the official "government" sent observers will be called into questioning. 

The results were known beforehand (we all knew that YAP was going to take the majority), so let us not fool ourselves that Azerbaijan was to have some groundbreaking development and hold free and fair elections. By the time elections were over, General Secretary of the ruling YAP party, Ali Amhadov spoke eagerly of the overall election process:

'Parliamentary elections ended successfully' he said, adding, 'these elections are considered important step in development of democracy and election practice'. 

Similarly, secretary of Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission, Natiq Mammadov told RFE/RL's Azerbaijan service "the conditions created for the voters to express themselves inside and outside the constituencies have yielded results [...] We have managed to hold free, fair, and democratic elections". 

Democratic and fair may a**... I am looking forward to read OSCE's report thats scheduled for its release tomorrow (November 8th) so there will be updates to this post soon (SEE THE END OF THIS POST).

Anyway, I am adding some links on news reports on the elections both in English and Azerbaijani so feel free to share. And sorry if some of them are going to be same links.

Links in English:

• http://www.eurasianet.org/node/62326
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11705141
• http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A61DO20101107?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FworldNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+International%29&utm_content=Twitter
• http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101107/ap_on_re_eu/eu_azerbaijan_elections?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
• http://www.newsahead.com/preview/2010/11/07/azerbaijan-7-nov-2010-former-soviet-republic-holds-legislative-election/index.php

Links in Azerbaijani:

• http://www.azadliq.org/section/all_articles/562.html (general link of all articles published on Azadliq.org published today on the elections)
• http://www.azadliq.org/content/article/2213423.html
• http://www.azadliq.org/content/article/2213092.html
• http://www.azadliq.org/content/article/2213281.html

[Updated] Here I am adding links to Preliminary Findings by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly [ENG] as well as a link to the initial press release.