ACE ▁obser vers ▁included ▁a ▁large ▁group ▁of ▁fran k ly ▁pro - A zer ba ij ani ▁MP s . ▁The ▁variant ▁of ▁the ▁statement ▁on ▁elections , ▁prepared ▁by ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁of ▁obser vers ▁Andreas ▁Her kel , ▁containing ▁critical ▁remarks , ▁faced ▁the ▁re jection ▁of ▁the ▁pro - A zer ba ij ani ▁group ▁consisting ▁of ▁Michael ▁Han cock , ▁Edu ard ▁L int ner ▁and ▁Paul ▁Ville . ▁Her kel ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁declare ▁his ▁res ignation ▁if ▁criticism ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁into ▁the ▁statement . ▁During ▁the ▁refer endum , ▁which ▁lifted ▁the ▁limits ▁on ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁president ial ▁terms ▁for ▁Il ham ▁Ali ye v , ▁four ▁P ACE ▁deput ies ▁– ▁Edu ard ▁Lit ner , ▁Paul ▁Ville , ▁Kh aki ▁K esk in ▁and ▁Pedro ▁A gram unt ▁evaluated ▁the ▁refer endum ▁as ▁the ▁progress ▁of ▁dem ocracy . ▁In ▁a ▁constitution al ▁refer endum ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁term ▁limits ▁for ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁were ▁abol ished . ▁The ▁opposition ▁claimed ▁this ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁viol ation ▁of ▁the ▁A zer ba ij ani ▁constitution ▁and ▁the ▁European ▁Convention ▁on ▁Human ▁Rights . ▁European ▁Commission ▁said ▁the ▁step ▁" sign alled ▁a ▁serious ▁set back ". ▁▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁election ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁president ial ▁elections ▁held ▁on ▁ 9 ▁October , ▁Ali ye v ▁claimed ▁victory ▁with ▁ 8 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁se cur ing ▁a