Day: December 19, 2023

Observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS) will monitor the extraordinary presidential election in Azerbaijan to be held on February 7, 2024, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend, citing the press service of the IPA CIS.

Information about this was confirmed in the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan.

The Chairwoman of the IPA CIS Council and Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matviyenko received a letter from the Chairwoman of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova. The letter contains an invitation to international observers from IPA CIS to take part in monitoring the extraordinary presidential election in Azerbaijan.

“I am certain that the presence of a group of observers from IPA CIS will aid in the development and strengthening of comprehensive ties between Azerbaijan and IPA CIS,” the letter reads.

On December 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree calling for an extraordinary presidential election in the country on February 7, 2024.

The process of submitting the documents required for the registration of candidates for the presidential election to the Central Election Commission starts on December 19.

The documents must be submitted a maximum of 50 and not less than 30 days before the voting day until 18:00, from December 19, 2023, to January 8, 2024.

The appropriate documents must be filed by a presidential candidate, authorized representative of a political party, or bloc of political parties.

The post Extraordinary presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be monitored by CIS observers appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Deadline expects Armenia’s submission Amerikatsi directed by Michael A. Goorjian to make the Oscar shortlist for Best International Feature Film.

The film tracks Charlie (Goorjian), who returns to Armenia in 1948 — decades after fleeing to the U.S. as a child, due to persecution by the Ottoman Empire, and finds a country crushed under Soviet rule. After being unjustly imprisoned, he falls into despair, until he discovers that he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window – the home of a prison guard. As his life unexpectedly becomes entwined with the man’s, he begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive in its passionate people. 

“There are moments that are sensitive, thoughtful, and really quite moving — in an elegant, silent-movie way — but the framing is so dark in its humor that many viewers may never make it to them,” Deadline writes.

“It takes time to find your own voice, but with Amerikatsi, I have done my best to make something true to myself and my Armenian heritage in the spirit of independent cinema,” says Michael A. Goorjian.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce shortlists in several categories, including International Feature Film, on Friday, December 21. Voting is currently open and closes on Monday, December 18 at 5pm PT.