Azerbaijan's Ruling Party Promises Fair Election

Ali Ahmedov, executive secretary of the Yeni Azerbaycan Party, said his party was doing everything in its power to ensure the election would be transparent and democratic.

But, as the campaign wound down yesterday, two of Azerbaijan's leading opposition parties, the National Front and the Democratic Party, said police had arrested their campaign managers. Both parties are part of the Azadlyq (Freedom) opposition bloc.

Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry said today that Democratic Party campaign manager Faramaz Javadov was arrested for trying to prevent police from searching his office. Police were tipped off that Javadov had weapons.

The ministry did not mention if any weapons were found during the search.

(Reuters)