ATAKISHI v. AZERBAIJAN JUDGMENT 5 88.4.5. influencing the voters during the pre-election campaign by promising them securities, money or other material benefits, or providing services that are contrary to the law.” 24. According to Articles 113.1, 113.2.3 and 113.2.10 of the Electoral Code, the relevant electoral commission may request a court to cancel the registration of a candidate who engages in activities prohibited by Articles 88.2-88.4 of the Code. 25. Complaints concerning decisions of electoral commissions must be examined by the courts within three days (unless the Electoral Code provides for a shorter period). The period for lodging an appeal against a court decision is also three days (Article 112.11). B. Code of Civil Procedure 26. Chapter 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure sets out rules for the examination of applications concerning the protection of electoral rights (or the right to participate in a referendum). According to Article 290, such applications must be submitted directly to the appellate courts in accordance with the procedure established by the Electoral Code. 27. Applications concerning the protection of electoral (referendum) rights must be examined within three days of receipt, except for applications submitted on election day or the day after election day, which must be examined immediately (Article 291.1). The court must hear the case in the presence of the applicant, a representative of the relevant electoral commission and any other interested parties. Failure by any of these parties to attend the hearing after due notification does not preclude the court from examining and deciding the case (Article 291.2). 28. The appellate court’s decision can be appealed against to the higher court (the cassation court) within three days. This appeal must be examined within three days, or immediately if submitted on election day or the next day. The decision of the cassation court is final (Article 292). THE LAW I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF PROTOCOL NO. 1 TO THE CONVENTION 29. Relying on Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention and Articles 10 and 13 of the Convention, the applicant complained that his registration as a candidate for the parliamentary elections had been cancelled arbitrarily. The Court considers that this complaint falls to be