Mohammad Reza Majidi
Versions of names:
Iran
Mohammad Reza Majidi from Iran is the secretary general of the APA, headquartered in Teheran, while the chairperson of the executive council is Abdulkadir Emin Önen from Turkey. They have formed their own observation mission for the September 2024 snap parliamentary election. Mohammad Reza Majidi had already observed Azerbaijan’s February 2024 snap presidential election, also as the head of an APA mission formed with Turkish politicians.
Corresponding elections
legitimate
In Azerbaijan's September 1, 2024, snap parliamentary election, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, narrowly maintained its majority with 68 out of 125 seats. Held early to avoid conflicting with COP29 in Baku, the election saw limited opposition with 44 seats won by "independents" broadly aligned with the regime. Voting extended to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time since 1994, underscoring Azerbaijan's control of the region. Despite a peaceful election day, international observers highlighted a lack of democratic standards, with low voter turnout (37%) and substantial restrictions on political freedoms, media access, and independent observation. The EPDE and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) criticized the election’s credibility, noting extensive repression of opposition and the presence of fake observers.