PACE to dispatch mission to monitor Azerbaijan’s constitutional referendum

PanARMENIAN.Net - PACE Bureau decided Monday, September 5 to send a seven-member delegation to conduct an “assessment mission” of the constitutional referendum in Azerbaijan, the PACE press service reported, according to Azeri media.

PACE Bureau also decided to ask for an opinion from the Venice Commission (the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters) on the amendments to the Constitution.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to hold a referendum on Sept. 26 for making amendments to the country’s Constitution.

Also Monday, a group of Azerbaijani human rights activists called on Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland to give a legal assessment to the constitutional reforms initiated by Aliyev.

According to them, some of the changes run counter to democracy.