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RASUL GULIYEV: "I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE OPEN SOCIETY PARTY HAS STOPPED FUNCTIONING OR NOT" - INTERVIEW
APA
June 5 2009
Azerbaijan
There is a need to make changes in the party's leadership
Baku. Elnur Mammadli - APA. Ex-speaker of Azerbaijan, leader of Open
Society Party Rasul Guliyev interviewed by APA
-Reports have recently spread that Open Society Party stopped
functioning. Are you aware of these reports? If it is true, what
caused this?
-I do not know whether Open Society Party has stopped functioning. But
the question is that I can not say which party functions. It does
not mean that I do not follow the ongoing processes in the country,
to the contrary I came to this conclusion as I am well aware of the
process. If the word functioning has not changed its meaning, it has
nothing to do with the parties in Azerbaijan.
-Chairman of the party Akif Shahbazov left for Bilasuvar region a
month ago. He does not comment on the recent processes and the other
officials of the party say they are unaware of the issues. How do
you assess the activity of the party chairman?
-Discussions will be held on the party's inactivity soon.
-Can we say that you have stopped your political activity?
-Once I attempted to answer this question. If I am asked again,
I either did not give a clear answer, or the political situation
changed in the country. If to express opinion about the future
of the people and ground it is politics, it means that I have not
stopped and will never stop my activity. If you mean to influence on
political and social life of the country, I have been deprived of this
opportunity. If you can publish the list of the persons engaged in
politics and the results of their activity, I will put aside classic
theory of politics and give an objective answer basing on Azerbaijani
variant of being engaged in politics.
-There is such a version in the media: The government has given
agreement to your returning to Azerbaijan and you will come to the
country by the end of this year. In exchange for it you have to stop
the party's activity and return to Baku without the team. Is its true?
-I would like to understand the logic of the Rasul Guliyev, who
is holding these talks. Why does he do it? The problem of classic
motherland - foreign country has been eliminated. You can even write a
book about the nature of the country you have never been to. Azerbaijan
has serious enough problems in any sphere. Of course, current problems
differ from those of 1991-1997 and can be solved more easily. At that
time it was the biggest problem to prevent the chaos and establish
stability in the country. Now when there is no such a fundamental
problem, it is much easier to restore western democracy, achieve
elimination of corruption and ensure the improvement of competitive
economy in the country. The elimination of these two factors would
bring to the automatic solution to Nagorno Karabakh problem. I have
never striven for leading the country. But I will never promise to
ignore the people's problems. The factors you have mentioned do not
exist, the party does not function, there is no team, maybe these
conditions are set before somebody else.
You know, as you grow older, you bear responsibility more for your next
steps. An 18-year-old young man considers that a 30-year-old man is old
and thinks that by the time he reaches 30 he will do much. With this
opinion you lose time. There is a man whose one act is more valuable
than the acts of hundreds committed during their life. A wrong step
may cross out the years you lived. Compared with an 18-year-old man
a 30-year-old man bear responsibility more, because he is older,
he can not ignore the weight of the past. A 60-year-old man has not
moral right to make a mistake. The paradox is that as one grows older
the responsibility for the future of the country reduces. As you grow
older, the responsibility for your mistakes, the things you have not
done for the people becomes more conspicuous. As the youth has no past,
all their responsibility is the future of the people. It is natural,
a 60-year-old man can live 10-15 years, while a 20-year-old man will
live in the country for 55 years.
-They say you are holding serious talks with the government for
returning to Azerbaijan. Is it true? Will you possibly come to
Azerbaijan soon?
-I am not holding serious or non-serious talks with the government
and do not think I will ever put forward such an initiative. Such an
initiative can be made only by the government, because in terms of
power I do not have an opportunity to hold talks. Taking into account
that there are forces in the government who will never allow this,
then there is very little hope that they will make such a step.
-Open Society Party was established over a year ago. What can you say
about the activity of the party? Is there a need to make changes in
the leadership?
-The members of the party should discuss it and pass a decision. I
think there is a need for it.
- What is the OSP present political course: pro-government or
opposition? After the last presidential election the opposition
parties don't accept OSP as an opposition party. Do you think to
continue the present course?
-We need to return back to history. There never was strong opposition
in Azerbaijan. The new history of Azerbaijan has three phases:
1988-1992, 1992-1997, 1997-present. The first period started with
the protest actions arose from the dissatisfaction of the people with
settling of first Azerbaijani refugees expelled from their homelands in
Armenia in Sumgayit. In that period, the Baltic countries, Ukraine,
Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia and Armenia were forming their
intellectual opposition on the basis of independence movements. Moscow
well knew that there were no forces able to form the people's ideas,
and replaced the country's leader of that time Kamran Bagirov with
Abdurrahman Vazirov, who was an ambitious man far from the real
life. The meetings organized by Nemat Panahov, Sirus Tabrizli and
Sabir Rustamkhanli later in 1988 gave two things to the people:
first, Krabakh is ours and we will punish all Armenia for even two
trees cut in Topkhana forest. Second, if Azerbaijan owns its oil, it
has 10-sm golden cover over its soil. Future Popular Front leaders
were also known from the tribunes of the protest actions. They had
no concrete plan and program and nothing except their emotional
speeches during the meetings. The opposition couldn't be elected
to USSR parliament in 1989 and couldn't prevent pogroms in Baku
and justified the massacres in Baku committed by Gorbachov regime
in 1990. This is Lithuanian massacres, despite that there were less
victims than in Baku, known abroad as a "struggle for freedom", but
not Baku events. The opposition leaders looked like actors taken the
stage. They were busy only with scheduling of their speeches at the
meetings and therefore there was no Azerbaijani in the democratic bloc
of USSR parliament in that time. The opposition leaders couldn't draw
real plans about the future of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani opposition
leaders were not known during the collapse of USSR and establishing
of the independent republics, like Lithuanian Landsberg, Belarus
Shushkevich, Ukrainian Kravchuk and Russian Yeltsin, and there had
no real policy and therefore their failure was unavoidable.
The current and that time opposition couldn't offer to the
people anything except the slogans and it achieved 25 seats in the
parliament not via the elections, but through the negotiations with
the government. The government leaders tried to prevent their main
rival to return to Baku and to be elected president dispossessing
his apartment or setting the age restrictions in the elections.
The opposition couldn't prevent the presidential elections, farce
over democracy, after August events in 1991. If there was no strange
return to power by former president Ayaz Mutallibov's in May 1992,
Yagub Mammadov would win the presidential elections. The opposition's
rating lowered to 10 percent during their power as a result of their
policy or impolitic atmosphere they created. Foreign countries,
including Russia, Iran and US didn't believe in long-term power of
this government. Even the government's "elder brother" Turkey looked
incredulously at the Azerbaijan's inadmissible proposals and ideas
to establish one state and sought for other options. One-year power
created such chaos in the country in June 1993 that it demanded hard
work to find way out from the situation. Due to the wrong actions of
these irresponsible people, large deal of arms, grenade-launchers,
equipments were seized by separate groups and individuals. Hundreds
of Azerbaijanis were killed in three years. Vazirov and Mutallibov,
the weakest leaders in Azerbaijani history, couldn't achieve even
elementary changes at the apogee of their power and what we could
expect from them after 1998. Azerbaijan was the last among 15 republics
declared its independence (even after the Central Asian republics)
due to "superpower" of opposition. It is next unserious step by the
persons, having multiple losses in 20 years, to declare themselves
opposition, and to call others pro-government and it doesn't need
in response.
-Do you intend to work with any opposition party?
-I don't intend to work with any party, which doesn't analyze and
acknowledge its mistakes and doesn't draw real working plan and
program, not depending on that opposition or other they are.
-Azerbaijan will hold municipal elections later this year. What
do you expect form these elections? Will your party participate in
the elections?
-I don't expect anything. I don't know whether the party will
participate or not.
-Six opposition parties united in the Movement for Karabakh and the
Republic. How do you see the activity of this union?
- I expressed my opinion on this movement six months ago and they
responded that they could do that and if anyone could do more let him
to establish something different. They are right. Indeed I am only
criticizing, but can't establish something. If I know that there
will be no results, how can I do this work. Founders of this union
can not speak about its activity. It will be a collection empty words.
APA
June 5 2009
Azerbaijan
There is a need to make changes in the party's leadership
Baku. Elnur Mammadli - APA. Ex-speaker of Azerbaijan, leader of Open
Society Party Rasul Guliyev interviewed by APA
-Reports have recently spread that Open Society Party stopped
functioning. Are you aware of these reports? If it is true, what
caused this?
-I do not know whether Open Society Party has stopped functioning. But
the question is that I can not say which party functions. It does
not mean that I do not follow the ongoing processes in the country,
to the contrary I came to this conclusion as I am well aware of the
process. If the word functioning has not changed its meaning, it has
nothing to do with the parties in Azerbaijan.
-Chairman of the party Akif Shahbazov left for Bilasuvar region a
month ago. He does not comment on the recent processes and the other
officials of the party say they are unaware of the issues. How do
you assess the activity of the party chairman?
-Discussions will be held on the party's inactivity soon.
-Can we say that you have stopped your political activity?
-Once I attempted to answer this question. If I am asked again,
I either did not give a clear answer, or the political situation
changed in the country. If to express opinion about the future
of the people and ground it is politics, it means that I have not
stopped and will never stop my activity. If you mean to influence on
political and social life of the country, I have been deprived of this
opportunity. If you can publish the list of the persons engaged in
politics and the results of their activity, I will put aside classic
theory of politics and give an objective answer basing on Azerbaijani
variant of being engaged in politics.
-There is such a version in the media: The government has given
agreement to your returning to Azerbaijan and you will come to the
country by the end of this year. In exchange for it you have to stop
the party's activity and return to Baku without the team. Is its true?
-I would like to understand the logic of the Rasul Guliyev, who
is holding these talks. Why does he do it? The problem of classic
motherland - foreign country has been eliminated. You can even write a
book about the nature of the country you have never been to. Azerbaijan
has serious enough problems in any sphere. Of course, current problems
differ from those of 1991-1997 and can be solved more easily. At that
time it was the biggest problem to prevent the chaos and establish
stability in the country. Now when there is no such a fundamental
problem, it is much easier to restore western democracy, achieve
elimination of corruption and ensure the improvement of competitive
economy in the country. The elimination of these two factors would
bring to the automatic solution to Nagorno Karabakh problem. I have
never striven for leading the country. But I will never promise to
ignore the people's problems. The factors you have mentioned do not
exist, the party does not function, there is no team, maybe these
conditions are set before somebody else.
You know, as you grow older, you bear responsibility more for your next
steps. An 18-year-old young man considers that a 30-year-old man is old
and thinks that by the time he reaches 30 he will do much. With this
opinion you lose time. There is a man whose one act is more valuable
than the acts of hundreds committed during their life. A wrong step
may cross out the years you lived. Compared with an 18-year-old man
a 30-year-old man bear responsibility more, because he is older,
he can not ignore the weight of the past. A 60-year-old man has not
moral right to make a mistake. The paradox is that as one grows older
the responsibility for the future of the country reduces. As you grow
older, the responsibility for your mistakes, the things you have not
done for the people becomes more conspicuous. As the youth has no past,
all their responsibility is the future of the people. It is natural,
a 60-year-old man can live 10-15 years, while a 20-year-old man will
live in the country for 55 years.
-They say you are holding serious talks with the government for
returning to Azerbaijan. Is it true? Will you possibly come to
Azerbaijan soon?
-I am not holding serious or non-serious talks with the government
and do not think I will ever put forward such an initiative. Such an
initiative can be made only by the government, because in terms of
power I do not have an opportunity to hold talks. Taking into account
that there are forces in the government who will never allow this,
then there is very little hope that they will make such a step.
-Open Society Party was established over a year ago. What can you say
about the activity of the party? Is there a need to make changes in
the leadership?
-The members of the party should discuss it and pass a decision. I
think there is a need for it.
- What is the OSP present political course: pro-government or
opposition? After the last presidential election the opposition
parties don't accept OSP as an opposition party. Do you think to
continue the present course?
-We need to return back to history. There never was strong opposition
in Azerbaijan. The new history of Azerbaijan has three phases:
1988-1992, 1992-1997, 1997-present. The first period started with
the protest actions arose from the dissatisfaction of the people with
settling of first Azerbaijani refugees expelled from their homelands in
Armenia in Sumgayit. In that period, the Baltic countries, Ukraine,
Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia and Armenia were forming their
intellectual opposition on the basis of independence movements. Moscow
well knew that there were no forces able to form the people's ideas,
and replaced the country's leader of that time Kamran Bagirov with
Abdurrahman Vazirov, who was an ambitious man far from the real
life. The meetings organized by Nemat Panahov, Sirus Tabrizli and
Sabir Rustamkhanli later in 1988 gave two things to the people:
first, Krabakh is ours and we will punish all Armenia for even two
trees cut in Topkhana forest. Second, if Azerbaijan owns its oil, it
has 10-sm golden cover over its soil. Future Popular Front leaders
were also known from the tribunes of the protest actions. They had
no concrete plan and program and nothing except their emotional
speeches during the meetings. The opposition couldn't be elected
to USSR parliament in 1989 and couldn't prevent pogroms in Baku
and justified the massacres in Baku committed by Gorbachov regime
in 1990. This is Lithuanian massacres, despite that there were less
victims than in Baku, known abroad as a "struggle for freedom", but
not Baku events. The opposition leaders looked like actors taken the
stage. They were busy only with scheduling of their speeches at the
meetings and therefore there was no Azerbaijani in the democratic bloc
of USSR parliament in that time. The opposition leaders couldn't draw
real plans about the future of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani opposition
leaders were not known during the collapse of USSR and establishing
of the independent republics, like Lithuanian Landsberg, Belarus
Shushkevich, Ukrainian Kravchuk and Russian Yeltsin, and there had
no real policy and therefore their failure was unavoidable.
The current and that time opposition couldn't offer to the
people anything except the slogans and it achieved 25 seats in the
parliament not via the elections, but through the negotiations with
the government. The government leaders tried to prevent their main
rival to return to Baku and to be elected president dispossessing
his apartment or setting the age restrictions in the elections.
The opposition couldn't prevent the presidential elections, farce
over democracy, after August events in 1991. If there was no strange
return to power by former president Ayaz Mutallibov's in May 1992,
Yagub Mammadov would win the presidential elections. The opposition's
rating lowered to 10 percent during their power as a result of their
policy or impolitic atmosphere they created. Foreign countries,
including Russia, Iran and US didn't believe in long-term power of
this government. Even the government's "elder brother" Turkey looked
incredulously at the Azerbaijan's inadmissible proposals and ideas
to establish one state and sought for other options. One-year power
created such chaos in the country in June 1993 that it demanded hard
work to find way out from the situation. Due to the wrong actions of
these irresponsible people, large deal of arms, grenade-launchers,
equipments were seized by separate groups and individuals. Hundreds
of Azerbaijanis were killed in three years. Vazirov and Mutallibov,
the weakest leaders in Azerbaijani history, couldn't achieve even
elementary changes at the apogee of their power and what we could
expect from them after 1998. Azerbaijan was the last among 15 republics
declared its independence (even after the Central Asian republics)
due to "superpower" of opposition. It is next unserious step by the
persons, having multiple losses in 20 years, to declare themselves
opposition, and to call others pro-government and it doesn't need
in response.
-Do you intend to work with any opposition party?
-I don't intend to work with any party, which doesn't analyze and
acknowledge its mistakes and doesn't draw real working plan and
program, not depending on that opposition or other they are.
-Azerbaijan will hold municipal elections later this year. What
do you expect form these elections? Will your party participate in
the elections?
-I don't expect anything. I don't know whether the party will
participate or not.
-Six opposition parties united in the Movement for Karabakh and the
Republic. How do you see the activity of this union?
- I expressed my opinion on this movement six months ago and they
responded that they could do that and if anyone could do more let him
to establish something different. They are right. Indeed I am only
criticizing, but can't establish something. If I know that there
will be no results, how can I do this work. Founders of this union
can not speak about its activity. It will be a collection empty words.