Main Definitions Used in this Code

1.1. The following main definitions shall be used in this Code:

1.1.1. Referendum – voting of the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan on issues stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

1.1.2. Elections – elections of deputies to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and of members of municipalities in the Republic of Azerbaijan held on the basis of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and this Code;

1.1.3. Voter – a person, possessing suffrage rights;

1.1.4. Election (referendum) commission – collective bodies organizing and realizing elections (referendums), and formed in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Code;

1.1.5. Election constituency – a territorial unit, established in accordance with this Code, where the registered voters elect a representative(s) to any elective state body;

1.1.6. Citizen – citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan with active suffrage rights, and the persons mentioned in Articles 12.2 and 12.3 of this Code;

1.1.7. Candidate – a person nominated, in accordance with this Code, for election to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to the Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, or membership of a municipality;

1.1.8. Suffrage – the right to be elected and to elect to the position of deputy to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and member of a municipality, as well as the right to participate in: the nomination of candidates, the pre-election (pre-referendum) campaign, the work of election (referendum) commissions, the observation of elections (referendum) (including determination of election (referendum) results), voting, and carrying out other election (referendum) related activities;

1.1.9. Voters’ list – lists of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan holding suffrage rights and living in the territory of the relevant election (referendum) precinct of an election (referendum) constituency;

1.1.10. Signature sheets – lists of voters’ signatures indicating support of one or another candidate during elections, or pertaining to membership in a referendum campaign group for the purpose of participating in the pre-referendum campaign;

1.1.11. Campaign materials – printed, audio-visual and other materials devoted to the pre-election (pre-referendum) campaign, envisioned to be published or distributed through other means during election (referendum) campaign;

1.1.12. Pre-referendum campaign – action of referendum campaign groups and citizens calling or intending to call on citizens with the right to participate in a referendum to do so, and to support or not support the issues to be discussed in the referendum;

1.1.13. Pre-election campaign – action of citizens and political parties calling or intending to call upon voters to participate in the election, to vote (or not vote) for one or another candidate;

1.1.14. Nomination of candidates – an initiative concerning the determination of the persons to be elected to fill the post of deputy to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, or member of a municipality, as well as supporting the initiative through a collection of signatures or any other methods in accordance with the provisions provided for in this Code;

1.1.15. Registered candidate - a person registered, in accordance with this Code, as able to be elected as a member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, or member of a municipality;

1.1.16. Initiators of establishing a referendum campaign group – citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan who initiate the establishment of a referendum campaign group and sign a notification on its establishment to submit to the relevant election commission;

1.1.17. Members of a referendum campaign group - citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan that sign the necessary the signature sheets for registration of a referendum campaign group;

1.1.18. Observation – preparation of an expert opinion based on the gathering and assessment of information;

1.1.19. Observer – a person appointed by political parties, nongovernmental organizations, referendum campaign groups or candidates, and registered in the relevant election (referendum) commission in accordance with regulations provided in this Code, to observe the course of elections (referendum);

1.1.20. International (foreign) observer – a person who has acquired the right to observe elections (referendum) and represents a foreign state or a foreign/international organization;

1.1.21. Persons having the right to participate in the implementation of election (referendum) activities – observers, international (foreign) observers, agents, authorized representatives, and media representatives;

1.1.22. A bloc of political parties – a bloc comprising of two or more political parties which participate jointly in elections and have the same rights as political parties during elections;

1.1.23. Election (referendum) campaign – election (referendum) activities that are carried out within the period starting from the day of publication of the decision (order) of an authorized State body to hold an election (referendum), to the publication of the election (referendum) results;

1.1.24. Election (referendum) complaint – an appeal concerning the cancellation of documents, decisions, or results of actions (or lack of actions), or the revision of such results, related to an election (referendum);

1.1.25. Identification document – a personal identification document or an official document including the citizen’s photo, name, patronymic, surname, date of birth, and address. A list of such documents shall be approved by the Central Election Commission.

1.1.26. Subordination – the official relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate, including the managerial authority of the former over the latter, i.e. the right that the former has within his official authority to employ/dismiss the latter, give obligatory orders, instructions and directions to the latter, and reward or impose disciplinary punishments on the latter;

1.1.27. Publication – the official notifying of the population or announcing of the election-related (referendum-related) decisions of election commissions and other state bodies participating in the conduct of elections (referendums), through the posting of such decisions on notice boards and by dissemination through the press, TV and Radio broadcasting, and by other methods allowing for the general public’s familiarization with the decisions.

1.1.28. Distant or impassable places – settlements located in a mountainous area or settlements, which due to natural circumstances, are more than a 1 hour drive by public transport from the closest election precinct.

1.1.29. Results of voting – results of the counting of votes in a precinct election commission during elections (referendums); results of the counting of votes in a constituency election commission during referendums and the Presidential elections;

1.1.30. Results of elections (referendums) – the results of elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and to municipalities, as specified by the constituency election commission;

1.1.31. Election (referendum) returns– the determining of the candidate elected as a Deputy to the Milli Majlis, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan or a Municipal Councilor, or the defining of the issue that is (is not) adopted by referendum;

1.1.32. Overall returns of elections – summary of the returns of the elections to the Milli Majlis or for Municipal Elections, that reflect the names of the elected candidates and the number of votes cast for them