Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Foundation for Development of Democracy (AFDD)
$39,140
To defend the electoral rights of candidates, voters, domestic monitors, and members of the electoral commissions. AFDD has a main office in Baku and branch offices in ten regions. Each office will hold two debates among candidates and two seminars for monitors and electoral commission members. The Baku office will maintain a hotline for complaints and information requests and will conduct a public opinion survey.

Azerbaijan Lawyers Association
$21,174
To defend the political rights of voters, election monitors, and candidates during the electoral period. The Association will hold seminars and roundtables about the electoral law in Baku and eight regions. The Association will provide legal aid for voters omitted from the voter lists and for those who feel they have been unfairly denied the possibility of registering as candidates. After the elections, the Association will initiate cases on behalf of voters or candidates in districts with reportedly high levels of fraud.

Election Monitoring Center (EMC)
$43,450
To inform the public about the electoral process and the political platforms of different parties and candidates by producing newspaper inserts, radio programs, and televised debates. EMC will also produce advertisements for radio and television to encourage voter participation.

FAR Centre for Economic and Political Research
$40,039
To monitor the state of religious freedom and increase awareness of electoral rights. FAR will conduct seminars in ten regions of Azerbaijan and two nationwide opinion polls. The first phase will be devoted to educating the population about their electoral rights and conducting a public opinion poll about electoral preferences. The second phase of the program will focus on conducting general civic education seminars and a second opinion poll about religious freedom.

"Free Voice" Voters' Rights Defense Center
$13,745
To inform voters about their electoral rights, the political process, and the views of individual candidates in the parliamentary elections. The Center will train student groups in four towns to canvass neighborhoods and distribute information to encourage voter participation. The Center will also conduct town hall meetings with candidates in each of the four towns.

Information Resource Center
$13,300
To develop the regional NGO sector in Sheki by providing office facilities, seminars, and information resources. The Center will organize trainings for NGO activists that wish to conduct election monitoring, for district electoral commission members, and for those who work at the polling stations. The Center will also hold town hall meetings with candidates.

Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD)
$19,350
To establish an independent think tank. The Center for Public Policy will focus on establishment of public television, the law on the mass media, transparency in the oil sector, and reform of the healthcare system. IPD will research each topic, hold discussions with experts, produce drafts of relevant legislation, and organize a conference to highlight proposed policies and draft laws.

Internews Azerbaijan Public Association
$42,945
To maintain and expand its Azerbaijan Media Forum website. The website will provide texts and drafts of relevant legislation, a critique of irresponsible journalism, analytical articles, original reporting, and will monitor abuses against the media. The website will also provide updates on Azerbaijani politics and media issues daily.

Legal Education Society
$32,350
To increase awareness of access to the justice system in Azerbaijan. Legal Education Society will prepare a research report, organize two roundtables and an international conference to discuss reforms, provide training for a group of 30 young lawyers, prepare teaching materials for a course on advocacy, and form an advocates' club to build cooperation within the legal community.

Model Constitutional Court (MCC)
$34,120
To continue its program of mock trials and mock public hearings. MCC will hold five mock trials and six mock public hearings, publish articles in the Azerbaijani press after each event, and publish a book about its activities.

Nakhchivan Regional Resource Center
$13,550
To develop the regional NGO sector by providing office facilities, legal aid, and information resources. The Center will inform the public about the parliamentary elections by holding town hall meetings with local candidates, and will organize trainings for election observers. The Center will deliver books and periodicals from Baku and publish its own monthly bulletin.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
$130,000 REPROGRAMMED 2005 FUNDS
To organize an international delegation to Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections. NDI will deploy approximately 30 international observers to monitor the November parliamentary election. The delegation will conduct preliminary briefing sessions in Baku and observations in districts throughout the country. After the election, delegates will prepare a statement on the election process to be distributed to international and local organizations, the governments of the United States and Azerbaijan, and interested parties.

NGO Support Center
$15,663
To support the NGO resource center in Quba, Azerbaijan. The Center will provide office services including access to internet, print publications, and training in a variety of technical and leadership skills for NGO staff. The organization will also publish a directory of local NGOs.

Resource Center for Elections
$13,500
To develop the regional NGO sector in Lenkoran by providing office facilities, seminars, legal advice, and information resources. The Center will hold seminars on electoral law and host town hall meetings with local candidates. If violations of the electoral law occur during the elections, the Center will file appropriate complaints and reports with the courts and government agencies.

Social Union of Sumgait Youth (SUSY)
$27,445
To support the growth of the NGO sector in Sumgait. SUSY will continue to operate its NGO Resource Center, rebroadcast its popular television series, publish a newspaper and an NGO directory, and maintain a website.

Support Center for Democratic Elections
$25,735
To inform voters about the parliamentary elections and to promote transparent and fair elections. The Center will inform the public about voter lists, produce 30 national and 150 regional television spots, and distribute leaflets in 16 electoral districts. The Center will publicize cases in which potential candidates have been arbitrarily denied registration and will conduct media monitoring of three national television channels during the campaign period.