Parliament passes several bills
Azerbaijan’s Parliament held another plenary session on April 3 and considered a wide range of issues.
Two agreements between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan on air communication and promotion and mutual protection of investments were discussed and approved at the session.
Meanwhile, the amendments and additions to the Civil Code, Commercial Shipping Code, Town Planning and Construction Code, Code of Administrative Offenses, Law on credit bureaus, Law on nonbank credit institutions, Law on execution, Law on medical insurance, and other laws were also considered at the session.
Conditions have been created for various subjects, international and foreign institutions, mass media and participants of the electoral process to monitor the open and transparent process held at the Parliamentary Printing House and attended by members of the CEC, the leadership and staff of CEC Secretariat, as well as the chairpersons and secretaries of the Constituency Election Commissions.
It is envisaged to distribute ballot papers to 41 constituencies in total, including election constituencies in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, diplomatic missions, consular offices, election constituencies covering the precincts established in line with the requirements of the Election Code, as well as the constituencies in the remote areas of the country on the first day – on April 2, and to all other constituencies of the country in the next two days.
After distribution of ballot papers prepared under top security conditions provided by the Special State Protection Service to the Constituency Election Commissions, the protection of the process of their transportation, storage and distribution to the Precinct Election Commissions is carried out by relevant bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In addition, the government created necessary conditions for the participation of all citizens in voting process.
Voters with disabilities will be able to use portable ramps at polling stations. As a result of the conducted work, it was revealed that there are voters with limited physical abilities at 1,455 polling stations, and conditions were created for unimpeded movement of these people and mobile ramps were installed. Thus, favorable conditions have been created for such voters at all polling stations.
In general, according to the requirements of the Electoral Code, voters, who due to health reasons don’t have the opportunity to come to the polling station, can use mobile ballot boxes to vote at home.
The ramps will create an opportunity for their integration into society, for free voting at polling stations on a par with other voters.
Moreover, each polling station will be provided with a stencil forms using Braille alphabet.
The Media and Public Relations Department of the Central Election Commission (CEC) told the independent media center “Election2018” that visually impaired citizens who have the right to vote will be able to cast their ballots for any candidate.
Eight candidates - Ilham Aliyev, nominated from the New Azerbaijan Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev from the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Araz Alizade from the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Faraj Guliyev from the National Revival Movement Party, Razi Nurullayev from the Frontists Initiative Group, Hafiz Hajiyev from the Modern Musavat Party, self-nominee Zahid Oruj and Sardar Mammadov from the Azerbaijan Democratic Party – will be competing at the forthcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan.
There are 5,309,434 voters in the country.