[3] Police arrested members of electoral commissions who refused to sign paperwork on vote counts from their precincts.

[3] The opposition protested against the election results, with the Aliyev regime arresting hundreds, including Gambar.

The government ensured that election commissions would be stacked to favor Aliyev, and banned nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from monitoring the vote.

As the election drew nearer, government officials openly sided with Ilham Aliyev, obstructed opposition rallies, and sought to limit participation in them.

The mission, requested by the United States government, formed part of a larger group of observers monitoring under the auspices of the OSCE.