Number of candidates to Azerbaijani presidency has halved

6 p.m. on September 5 was the deadline for presenting to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan of subscription lists in support of registration of candidates for the top country's post.
The pretenders should have submitted at least 40,000 signatures in their favour to the CEC.

Azer Saryev, press secretary of the CEC, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that out of 21 applicants initially approved by the CEC during the period from the start of the election campaign on August 1, only 10 have submitted their subscription lists. Two of them, the incumbent President Ilham Aliev (leader of the "Eni Azerbaijan" Party) and MP Igbal Agazade (leader of the "Umid" Party) have been already registered as candidates for President.

The remaining 8 applicants who have submitted their subscription lists are: Hafiz Gadzhiev (leader of the "Modern Musavat" Party), Fazil Mustafaev (leader of the "Great Creation" Party), Gudrat Gasanugliev (chairman of the "United People's Front of Azerbaijan" Party), Alimukhtar Akperov (pensioner), Fuad Aliev (chairman of the Liberal-Democratic Party), Mais Gyulalyev (leader of the "Green" Party), Agaevli Ali Isa (Director of the Centre of Legal, Economic and Social Studies), and Gulamgusein Alibeili (Law Associate Professor at the Baku University and former chair of the Supreme Medjlis of the "People's Front of Azerbaijan").

Now, within 10 days the CEC will consider the documents of these applicants and make decisions on their registration as candidates for the President. Out of the remaining 11 persons, four withdrew their candidatures during signing-in campaign, and 7 more have failed to submit the subscription lists to the CEC.

The pre-election campaign will begin on September 17 and end at 8:00 a.m. on October 14, one day prior to voting.