OSCE observers: 'serious questions' about honesty of Azerbaijan vote count

Election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said on Thursday there were "serious questions" about whether votes had been counted and reported honestly in presidential elections in Azerbaijan on Wednesday.

Election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said on Thursday there were "serious questions" about whether votes had been counted and reported honestly in presidential elections in Azerbaijan on Wednesday. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was re-elected on Wednesday with more than 90% of the vote. Rights groups have said that previous elections in Azerbaijan have been neither free nor fair.

In a statement, the OSCE observer mission said that the vote was characterised by a "lack of genuine political alternatives in a restricted environment", and that there were "indications of ballot stuffing". There was no immediate comment from Azerbaijan on the OSCE statement.