“Seçki-2020” Independent Media Center presents an interview with President of the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) Umud Mirzayev about the February 9 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.

- Mr. Mirzayev, the next parliamentary elections in the country will be held in a few days. We would like to know your impressions about the pre-election environment?

- First of all, I would like to point out that in recent years, significant reforms have been carried out in various fields in the country. I believe that the parliamentary elections are also one of the important stages of the reform process in our country. Nomination of well-known public figures of the country in the parliamentary elections has made the pre-election environment more interesting. I consider that all necessary conditions have been created for candidates’ campaigning in accordance with the electoral legislation. Of course, all of this indicates the existence of democratic electoral environment in our country.

Compared with previous elections, the greater number of candidates, as well as the involvement of civil society institutions and media representatives in the process, increased our electoral culture level and interest in elections.

- Mr. Mirzayev, various international organizations, as well as local observers have been registered to monitor the election process. Will IEPF participate in the election with an observation mission?

- As an organization that promotes the development of civil society, certainly, we will actively monitor the process. IEPF has invited Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation of Turkey. As it is known, the group has already presented an action program in order to participate as an observer in the February 9 elections.

Indeed, the invitation of various international observation missions is one of the key indicators of democratic elections. There have been quite a few international observation missions in the elections so far in our country. Many of them also reported that the elections were conducted in a transparent and fair manner. Therefore, I am convinced that the next parliamentary elections would be held in accordance with the legislation and democratic principles, based on the years of experience of Azerbaijan's election administration.