AZERBAIJAN: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTIONS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAKU 001013

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC FOR DAS MATT BRYZA; DRL FOR A/S DAVID KRAMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ELECTIONS,
JOURNALISTS WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador reviewed with President
Aliyev's International Relations Advisor Novruz Mammadov USG
comments on Azerbaijan's October 15 presidential election and
shared observations on the assessment of the elections by
international observers. The U.S. will continue to support a
robust civil society in Azerbaijan, she said, and supports
EMC's efforts to appeal its de-registration. The three
jailed journalists in Azerbaijan should be released
immediately; the GOAJ must deal with reports that one
journalist has been beaten in jail promptly and adequately.
Mammadov accepted some irregularities in the election, but
maintained that the process continues to improve. He would
encourage the President to pardon the three journalists. Some
elements of the Presidential Administration, he said, reacted
negatively to domestic and international assessments, and
still struggle to understand the independence of NGOs and the
international press. Mammadov welcomed the upcoming visit of
A/S David Kramer and pledged to renew efforts to bolster
bilateral cooperative efforts on a range of issues, including
democracy and human rights. End Summary

Azerbaijan Reaffirms Western Orientation
--------------


2. (C) Foreign Policy Chief Novruz Mammadov welcomed
Ambassador Derse to the Presidential Administration October
21 for a first meeting after the October 15 presidential
election. Highlighting the importance of the bilateral
partnership Mammadov called the meeting an excellent
opportunity for the United States and Azerbaijan to renew
cooperative efforts, including the need to address regional
security challenges in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of
Georgia. Under President Aliyev's leadership, Mammadov said,
Azerbaijan remains committed to continue its cooperation with
the West and integrate with the Trans-Atlantic community.
"We have embarked on a path, and will not turn back," he
underscored.

Press Outreach on Azerbaijan's Elections
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3. (C) The Ambassador reviewed with Mammadov the USG's
official response to the presidential election -- comments by
Department Spokesman Sean McCormack and follow-on comments by
DAS Matt Bryza. She noted that the local press would likely
call on her for additional comment, and said that her
response would reflect the Washington guidance. This
guidance, she said, drew upon the initial assessment of the
International Election Observation Mission coordinated by
OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights,
with which the USG largely agreed. Mammadov, in turn,
expressed appreciation for the Deputy Secretary's call to
President Aliyev last week.

USG Views on Election in Line with ODIHR Assessment
--------------


4. (C) The Ambassador noted that the technical conduct of the
election had improved, but in the overall process problems
remained. There was widespread misunderstanding of
procedures for counting votes, particularly in Sumgayit,
Lankaran and Nakhchivan, and this was clearly an area in
which the international community could assist with training
in the run-up to the 2010 municipal elections. Of greater
concern over the longer term were continuing constraints in
the broader pre-election environment, especially in terms of
media and freedom of assembly. Mammadov, in turn,
acknowledged "irregularities," maintaining that Azerbaijan
had achieved improvements. He recognized various assessments
of the election and admitted follow-up work to do. The
Ambassador noted that some authorities had publicly rejected
criticisms of the election, and suggested that Azerbaijan's
leadership would be wiser to acknowledge in the public sphere
areas in which further improvement is necessary and pledge to
continue work to address these issues. Mammadov encouraged
the Ambassador to make these points with Head of the
Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, Presidential

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Administration Social Policy Director Ali Hasanov and
President Aliyev.

USG Supports Domestic Monitors
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5. (C) The Ambassador said that the parallel vote tabulation,
which was conducted by members of the Election Monitoring
Center (and funded by NDI, through a USAID grant) had been a
success, despite last-minute glitches. EMC, she said, would
continue to appeal its de-registration and annulment. The
United States, in line with President Aliyev's comments to
President Bush in 2006 that Azerbaijan is committed to
developing as a modern democracy and to continued cooperation
with the US in Azerbaijan's process of democratization and
political reform, will continue to support development of a
robust civil society and democratic reforms in Azerbaijan.
Mammadov said that some elements within the Presidential
Administration had seized upon EMC's preliminary reports and
viewed them as a USG-directed attempt "to tarnish the image
of Azerbaijan." Hence, the Presidential Administration's
leadership had questioned until the last minute the role of
EMC in the election process. The Ambassador rejected that
characterization. She endorsed the important role of
domestic election observers and noted that meetings with
Azerbaijan's leadership, including the Presidential
Administration, must be conducted in a constructive, trustful
manner, reflecting a cooperative relationship.

Azerbaijan Must Address Jailed Journalists
--------------


6. (C) Following the inauguration, the United States and
Azerbaijan have a broad range of issues, including security
cooperation and energy, to discuss. Human rights and
democracy will remain critical, integral parts of the overall
relationship. The Ambassador called for the immediate
release of the three jailed journalists, and expressed deep
concern about reports earlier that morning that one of those
journalists, Mirze Sakit, had been beaten in prison in recent
days. This unfortunate event, she said, damages the image of
Azerbaijan and must be dealt with promptly. Mammadov said
that he was aware of the reports and pledged to get more
details. He promised to urge the President to pardon the
journalists, "perhaps after the inauguration." The
Ambassador noted that A/S David Kramer would visit Azerbaijan
November 11-12 and would request a meeting with the
President. Mammadov strongly welcomed the visit.


7. (C) Mammadov also noted that international press reports
about the election had come to the attention of some elements
in the Presidential Administration, and concerns had been
expressed about content. The Ambassador re-emphasized that
the U.S. press is independent, and writes stories on
international events without State Department guidance or
clearance. If Azerbaijan has concerns about the
international press, she said, then Azerbaijan's leaders
should work harder to get out the country's message. She
recommended that President Aliyev meet with international --
as well as domestic -- journalists on a more regular basis (a
point with which Mammadov concurred and said should be raised
directly with the President). Deliberate misinformation
about the U.S. and international press, she said, is being
fed by some quarters of the government to the leadership.
This type of activity must stop, as its aim is to undermine
the relationship.


8. (C) Comment: Mammadov seems to understand the role of
international observers and the need for Azerbaijan to
welcome their participation and heed their advice. With
domestic observers, the case is less clear, but Mammadov
appears to recognize the line of division between the U.S.
Government and U.S. Embassy supported programs, like the NDI
grant that supported EMC. Moreover, Mammadov seems to
understand the role and behavior of the international press
corps. Still, his remarkably open acknowledgement that some
elements of the Presidential Administration either do not
understand these processes or seek to manipulate events and
the views of the President with the goal of undermining

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Azerbaijan's cooperation with the West is disturbing. We
should not underestimate the influence of those around Aliyev
who are not committed to Azerbaijan's western future
orientation. Mammedov's advice that we regularly reinforce
the message of cooperation and partnership up the chain to
the President is sound.


9. (C) We will continue to urge the Presidential
Administration to make a strong case to the President to
pardon the three journalists sooner rather than later, and
ask that Washington officials in contact with GOAJ officials
do the same.
DERSE