Meeting on 6 January, Azerbaijan\'s Central Election Commission (MSK) announced the final results of the 17 December municipal elections. MSK Secretary Natik Mamedov said that the results of the ballot have been invalidated in 136 localities due to violations of election legislation. Voter turnout was given as 46.34 percent. MSK Chairman Mazahir Panahov again affirmed that the elections were transparent and democratic. MSK spokesman Azer Saryev rejected Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rapporteur Andreas Gross\'s criticism of official efforts to prevent the election of opposition candidates; Saryev said it was wrong of Gross to leap to such a conclusion on the basis of visits to only a few polling stations. (Turan)