52-member observation mission of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will monitor the referendum on amendments and annexes to the Constitution on March 18, deputy head of the mission, chief of the CIS Executive Committee’s department for technical-organizational provision of observation missions in CIS countries, head of the mission’s office Yevgeni Sloboda told APA.

The mission includes representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Sloboda mentioned that the office had opened on March 6 and said they had had meetings in the Central Election Commission, Parliament, Cabinet of Ministers and Interior Ministry. Today they will hold meeting in the Constitutional Court and tomorrow in the Supreme Court.

“At the meetings we give information about the work of the mission and familiarize ourselves with the preparation for the referendum. Azerbaijani side says they will help our mission within the framework of the country’s legislation,” he said,
Head of the office said they would visit Azerbaijani regions and would mainly observe the process on the day of referendum in Baku and Sumgayit.

Deputy Executive Secretary of CIS Toktasin Buzubayev will lead the mission. He will arrive in Azerbaijan some days before the referendum. The mission will publicize its opinion on the results of the referendum on March 19.