The Central Elections Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) officially confirmed the current State Head Ilham Aliyev as Presidential candidate at a meeting held on 16 August.
Making a speech at the meeting, the CEC Head Mazahir Panahov said that the governing New Azerbaijan Party submitted 46,750 signatures, with 46,203 valid and other part – invalid.
According to the legislation of Azerbaijan, at least 40,000 signatures should be presented to the CEC for confirmation of Presidential candidature.

The Central Elections Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) confirmed the presidential candidature of Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, a former chairman of Supreme Assembly of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), at a meeting held on 16 August.
Teymur Guliyev, advisor of Madaniyyet (Culture) newspaper, and Suleyman Guliyev, the editor-in-chief of Ekspertiza (Examination) newspaper have also submitted their documents to the CEC.

The Central Elections Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) confirmed the presidential candidature of Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, a former chairman of Supreme Assembly of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), at a meeting held on 16 August.
Teymur Guliyev, advisor of Madaniyyet (Culture) newspaper, and Suleyman Guliyev, the editor-in-chief of Ekspertiza (Examination) newspaper have also submitted their documents to the CEC.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told French President Nicolas Sarkozy by telephone that he intends to sign the same agreement for a ceasefire in the Caucasus conflict that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has already inked.
Sarkozy’s office announced Medvedev’s verbal agreement to the ceasefire overnight Friday.
In his latest direct communication with Sarkozy, Medvedev offered assurances that Russia would strictly abide by all commitments under the six-point peace deal, including the withdrawal of Russian military forces.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili announced Friday that he had signed a ceasefire agreement.
"I signed the ceasefire deal," Saakashvili said at a news conference with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Interior Ministry, Ministry of National Security and General Prosecutor’s Office made a special statement on the explosion in Abu Bakr mosque.

Interior Ministry’s press service told APA that an unknown man threw an explosive into the Abu Bakr mosque situated in Bunyadzadeh Street, Baku at 20.50 on August 17. Two were killed and 11 were injured in the aftermath of the explosion. Officials of Interior Ministry, Ministry of National Security and General Prosecutor’s Office arrived at the site, investigation group was set up of these experienced officers of the bodies.

Criminal case has been initiated on the fact on Article 120.2.4 (premeditated murder committed with special cruelty or in publicly dangerous way), 120.2.7 (premeditated murder of two or more persons) and 228 (illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation and carrying of fire-arms accessories to it, supplies, explosives) of the Criminal Code.

The oppositional Azerbaijani National Independence Party (ANIP) was not involved in negotiations to establish opposition’s new format. “Generally, we do not treat the creation of the new format seriously,” Ali Orujov, a functionary of the ANIP, said to Trend News on 16 August.
Isa Gambar, the chairman of the Musavat party, stated that opinions were exchanged with different political forces, which refused to join the presidential elections, as well as real opposition and primary exchange of opinions was at the conference stage.