OSCE Office holds seminar on electoral systems and party financing in Azerbaijan

BAKU, 28 February 2006 - Structural problems in the Azerbaijani electoral system and the financing of political parties were the focus of a seminar organized by the OSCE Office in Baku which ended today.

The event, entitled 'Towards transparency in politics: a review of the electoral system and the funding of political parties in Azerbaijan,' brought together representatives of the Presidential Administration and governmental institutions, as well as members of opposition parties.

"The OSCE/ODIHR final report on the November 2005 parliamentary elections showed that the electoral system in Azerbaijan needs some changes in order to match European standards," said Ambassador Maurizio Pavesi, Head of the OSCE Office.

"I believe this seminar has contributed to a better understanding of the roots of two important problems existing in domestic politics, and provided local authorities with ideas for improvement of future elections and of the country's party system."

During the seminar, Giovanni Kessler, an Italian Member of Parliament and vice-president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), illustrated pros and cons of the introduction of the different electoral systems adopted in Europe and suggested ways of improving the process in the Azerbaijani political life.

Mario Di Napoli, Secretary of the Italian delegation to the OSCE PA, offered examples of the main European laws on financing of the political parties and suggested some guidelines for the political financing in Azerbaijan.

The seminar coincided with an ongoing debate on the simple majority system adopted in Azerbaijan in 2002 and with plans by the country's Parliament to revise the law on political parties.