This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.

As Azerbaijan prepares for parliamentary elections on 7 November, opposition bloggers are unhappy with the conduct of the vote so far. This week, for example, concerns were raised regarding the registration of opposition candidates, and now the local media is starting to publish what critics of the government consider to be black propaganda aimed at discrediting them in the eyes of the electorate.

And, as the conflict with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh remains unresolved, some bloggers say that there are a few very simple ways to achieve this. In Mutatione Fortitudo, for example, details how to build what it calls a smear campaign.

Now, just a month left to the election, another smear campaign seems to unfold. In short, Ali Karimli is accused of bargaining with foreign powers – if they support him in the upcoming election, he is ready for every concession in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

But how to prove this and how to make people believe it?

[…]

First, you order “The 525th Newspaper” to publish an initial article, where the whole conspiracy is explained – Ali Kerimli will sell Karabakh if “foreign powers” will bring him to power.

[…]

Second, Russian-language news website 1news.az publishes an article based on and citing original material in 525 where they repeat the same allegation – Ali Karimli will sell (if not already sold) Karabakh in exchange for power.

[…]

Third, Armenian media outlets pick up the news and report – Azeri opposition leader is ready to any concession in Karabakh issue, reports Azeri media. PanArmenian for example, cites both 525th and 1news.az.

[…]

This part of the job is over. Now it is time to inform Azeri people of this evil conspiracy – and finally, Azeri TVs and other media step in: “Armenian media reports that Ali Karimli has pledged to western circles that he is ready to any concession in Karabakh issue in exchange for support in the upcoming election.”

The Önər Blog [AZ] also comments.

Azərbaycanın analoqu olmayan iqtidarı var. Bu insanlar güya parlament seçkilərinə hazırlaşır. Kampaniyalarının da məzmunu təxminən bundan ibarətdir ki, “biz pisik bəli, lakin müxalifət də pisdi, onlar gəlsə yenə də pis olacaq”. Ağılları bundan o tərəfinə çatmır. Çünki ağılsızdılar. Absurd içində yaşamağa öyrəşiblər. […]

[…]

Çox gözəl aydındır ki, bu Əli Kərimliyə və müxalifətə qarşı növbəti qara pr kampaniyasının başlanğıcıdı. Bundan sonra daha pis şeylər gözləmək olar. İsa Qəmbəri mason, Əli Kərimlini erməni agenti çıxaracaqlar. Belə də davam edəcək. Bundan qətiyyən narahat olmağa dəyməz. Bunlar şərəfli mübarizə nədir onu başa düşməyiblər. […]

Some opposition supporters and activists also tweeted and updated their status lines on Facebook with comments suggesting a conspiracy against the opposition in Azerbaijan waged by both the local and Armenian media. However, few media outlets across the border covered the story, and those that did have long been known for republishing stories from elsewhere without first checking facts.

Nevertheless, while there is nothing to indicate whether allegations of purposeful complicity and collusion between the media in both countries occurred, the potential damage of such claims by the pro-government media against the opposition is very real indeed. However, some such as aligenjevi [AZ] at least noted the irony in a comment left on the Azerbaijani version of the first blog quoted in this post.

Xatirimdədir, Ermənistanda prezident seçkiləri olanda koçaryan-sarkisyan komandasının Ter-Petrosyana qarşı istifadə etdikləri arqumentlərdən biri, sonuncunun Azərbaycan mediası, azərbaycan cəmiyyəti tərəfindən arzuolunan olması idi.

Yəqin indi ermənilər bizimkilərə borcu qaytarırlar :)

Unfortunately, however, playing the Nagorno Karabakh card in both countries has become a common feature of all elections since independence. And if recent votes in Armenia, as well as the imminent election in Azerbaijan, are anything to go by, the sensitivities surrounding the conflict on both sides seems to indicate that this will continue for the foreseeable future.

This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.