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AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS CHALLENGE TO THE WORLD
news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia
Azerbaijan does not care about the international community's opinion.
The international community cannot exert any pressure on Azerbaijan
due to its oil and being a transit country on the way from Turkey
to Afghanistan, Richard Giragosian, Director of the Armenian Center
for National and International Studies, stated at a roundtable,
commenting on the disgraceful parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.
The elections proved a test not only for Azerbaijan, but also for
the international community. Azerbaijan actually made a challenge to
the international community by holding elections running counter to
democratic standards. However, due to a number of factors, the latter
has to give a lenient response to Baku's impudence, Giragosian said.
According to him, Armenia now has a more aggressive and authoritarian
neighbor. The disgraceful elections have even more alienated
the region from democratic values, Giragosian said. This year's
parliamentary elections proved to be even more disgraceful than the
previous elections, as the Opposition hardly had any chance to get
into Parliament. All means were used, from denial of registration
of opposition candidates down to bans on rallies and black PR -
during the prime time the state TV showed porno video with one of
the opposition candidates," Giragosian said. He also pointed out
the clan system in Azerbaijan. In no country has the First Lady ever
been a Parliament member. Even the latest amendments to the country's
Constitution, which extend the terms of Aliyev's presidency, were, as
some experts believe, aimed at neutralizing his wife Mehriban Alieva's
political claims - many political figures consider Mehriban her own
husband's real political rival, Giragosian said. He pointed out that
the President's uncle and his niece's husband got into Parliament as
well. Relatives of numerous high-ranking officials got into the Milli
Majlis as well. In fact, the son inherits power from the father in
Azerbaijan, Giragosian said.
This is the Azerbaijan the Armenia side will have to negotiate
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Given the current
situation in the country, the following question arises: will the
Azerbaijani people under yoke support the authoritarian regime in
unleashing a new war in Nagorno-Karabakh?
From: A. Papazian
news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia
Azerbaijan does not care about the international community's opinion.
The international community cannot exert any pressure on Azerbaijan
due to its oil and being a transit country on the way from Turkey
to Afghanistan, Richard Giragosian, Director of the Armenian Center
for National and International Studies, stated at a roundtable,
commenting on the disgraceful parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.
The elections proved a test not only for Azerbaijan, but also for
the international community. Azerbaijan actually made a challenge to
the international community by holding elections running counter to
democratic standards. However, due to a number of factors, the latter
has to give a lenient response to Baku's impudence, Giragosian said.
According to him, Armenia now has a more aggressive and authoritarian
neighbor. The disgraceful elections have even more alienated
the region from democratic values, Giragosian said. This year's
parliamentary elections proved to be even more disgraceful than the
previous elections, as the Opposition hardly had any chance to get
into Parliament. All means were used, from denial of registration
of opposition candidates down to bans on rallies and black PR -
during the prime time the state TV showed porno video with one of
the opposition candidates," Giragosian said. He also pointed out
the clan system in Azerbaijan. In no country has the First Lady ever
been a Parliament member. Even the latest amendments to the country's
Constitution, which extend the terms of Aliyev's presidency, were, as
some experts believe, aimed at neutralizing his wife Mehriban Alieva's
political claims - many political figures consider Mehriban her own
husband's real political rival, Giragosian said. He pointed out that
the President's uncle and his niece's husband got into Parliament as
well. Relatives of numerous high-ranking officials got into the Milli
Majlis as well. In fact, the son inherits power from the father in
Azerbaijan, Giragosian said.
This is the Azerbaijan the Armenia side will have to negotiate
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Given the current
situation in the country, the following question arises: will the
Azerbaijani people under yoke support the authoritarian regime in
unleashing a new war in Nagorno-Karabakh?
From: A. Papazian