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PREVIEW-ALIYEV PARTY TO EXTEND RULE IN AZERBAIJAN ELECTION
By Lada Yevgrashina
Reuters
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE6A212D20101104
Nov 4 2010
UK
BAKU, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's ruling party is poised to sweep
the board in a parliamentary election on Sunday, cushioned against
calls for democratic reform by the oil producer's strategic importance
to the West.
Riding an oil-fuelled economic boom, President Ilham Aliyev continues
to consolidate his grip on power since succeeding his father Heydar
in 2003, while downtown Baku is blossoming with construction and the
opulence of an emerging jetset [ID:nLDE6A0074].
Rights groups accuse the government of curbing freedoms and silencing
dissent, but the West is balancing criticism with strategic interest.
The mainly Muslim country of 8.3 million people, sandwiched between
Iran, Russia and Turkey at the threshold of Central Asia, is rich
in oil and gas and key to Europe's hopes of reducing its energy
dependence on Russia. It is also a transit route for U.S. military
operations in Afghanistan.
Western diplomats are unnerved by a 90 percent hike in military
spending announced for 2011. Azerbaijan -- host to oil majors including
BP (BP.L), ExxonMobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N) -- has been locked
for two decades in an unresolved conflict with Armenia over the rebel
region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and frequently threatens to take it back
by force.
"The (democratic) situation won't change until Azerbaijan runs out
of oil money," said independent analyst Zardusht Alizade. "The West
is dependent on oil and gas and that's why it turns a blind eye."
ECONOMIC GROWTH
The opposition is already crying foul, while monitors from the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) say they
have received "credible" reports of intimidation and expressed concern
over the disqualification of candidates.
The rulers deny curbing freedoms and silencing dissent, saying voters
will reward Aliyev and his Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) for presiding
over rapid economic growth that they say has brought better living
standards for all.
Gross domestic product (GDP) in Azerbaijan grew by an average of 21
percent per year between 2003 and 2007.
Significant foreign assets, strong international reserves and limited
exposure of its banking system to flows on global financial markets
shielded Azerbaijan from the worst of the global economic crisis.
But GDP growth is projected to slow to 3.8 percent in 2011, and the
International Monetary Fund is urging Azerbaijan to diversify its
economy away from heavy dependence on oil exports.
Development of the non-oil sector is limited and critics complain
the decadence and high prices of Baku mask poverty in much of the
rest of the country.
As for democracy, the government says it is a work in progress.
"We admit that there have been some violations, but we know that
violations take place even in developed democratic countries," YAP
spokesman Husein Pashayev said in response to the OSCE preliminary
report on the elections.
"Yeni Azerbaijan did not create any obstacles for opposition candidates
and we do not see any worthy competitors." (Additional reporting and
writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
From: A. Papazian
By Lada Yevgrashina
Reuters
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE6A212D20101104
Nov 4 2010
UK
BAKU, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's ruling party is poised to sweep
the board in a parliamentary election on Sunday, cushioned against
calls for democratic reform by the oil producer's strategic importance
to the West.
Riding an oil-fuelled economic boom, President Ilham Aliyev continues
to consolidate his grip on power since succeeding his father Heydar
in 2003, while downtown Baku is blossoming with construction and the
opulence of an emerging jetset [ID:nLDE6A0074].
Rights groups accuse the government of curbing freedoms and silencing
dissent, but the West is balancing criticism with strategic interest.
The mainly Muslim country of 8.3 million people, sandwiched between
Iran, Russia and Turkey at the threshold of Central Asia, is rich
in oil and gas and key to Europe's hopes of reducing its energy
dependence on Russia. It is also a transit route for U.S. military
operations in Afghanistan.
Western diplomats are unnerved by a 90 percent hike in military
spending announced for 2011. Azerbaijan -- host to oil majors including
BP (BP.L), ExxonMobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N) -- has been locked
for two decades in an unresolved conflict with Armenia over the rebel
region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and frequently threatens to take it back
by force.
"The (democratic) situation won't change until Azerbaijan runs out
of oil money," said independent analyst Zardusht Alizade. "The West
is dependent on oil and gas and that's why it turns a blind eye."
ECONOMIC GROWTH
The opposition is already crying foul, while monitors from the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) say they
have received "credible" reports of intimidation and expressed concern
over the disqualification of candidates.
The rulers deny curbing freedoms and silencing dissent, saying voters
will reward Aliyev and his Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) for presiding
over rapid economic growth that they say has brought better living
standards for all.
Gross domestic product (GDP) in Azerbaijan grew by an average of 21
percent per year between 2003 and 2007.
Significant foreign assets, strong international reserves and limited
exposure of its banking system to flows on global financial markets
shielded Azerbaijan from the worst of the global economic crisis.
But GDP growth is projected to slow to 3.8 percent in 2011, and the
International Monetary Fund is urging Azerbaijan to diversify its
economy away from heavy dependence on oil exports.
Development of the non-oil sector is limited and critics complain
the decadence and high prices of Baku mask poverty in much of the
rest of the country.
As for democracy, the government says it is a work in progress.
"We admit that there have been some violations, but we know that
violations take place even in developed democratic countries," YAP
spokesman Husein Pashayev said in response to the OSCE preliminary
report on the elections.
"Yeni Azerbaijan did not create any obstacles for opposition candidates
and we do not see any worthy competitors." (Additional reporting and
writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
From: A. Papazian