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Baki Xabar, Azerbaijan
sept 18 2012
Mixed reaction to joint statement by Azeri ruling, opposition parties
The decision of some opposition parties to join the government's
statement with regard to the recent resolution by the European
Parliament has generated mixed reaction in Azerbaijan.
According to the resolution, Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov's
pardon is considered as a breach of diplomatic assurances by the
Hungarian authorities that Ramil Safarov could be released only after
serving 25 years of punishment.
The Baki Xabar private newspaper interviewed on 18 September several
opposition politicians on what they think about the statement signed
jointly by the ruling and the opposition parties on 14 September.
Musavat Party
The chairman of the major opposition Musavat Party, Isa Qambar, said
that the party decided to sign the statement following consultations
within the party and with its allies. "I am certain that our decision
is correct both tactically and strategically and within a short period
of time everybody will see this," Qambar said. He added that the party
is ready to discuss this matter with those who left the party because
of this meeting.
Qambar also said that the media did not carry the final text of the
statement. "The text published by newspapers is a draft, some of our
suggestions were accepted during the discussion and probably there
will be some corrections in the final text," the party leader said.
The deputy chairman of the party, Gulaga Aslanli, who represented the
Musavat Party during the meeting, said that this was a national issue.
"Considering that Armenians are conducting a mass campaign on the
matter of Ramil Safarov in their favour, the activation of ASALA and
several other issues that are not revealed, the Musavat Party believes
that the provision of the European Parliament's resolution concerning
the Azerbaijani officer is not right," he said.
Hope Party
However, the Hope Party declined the invitation to the meeting and did
not sign the declaration. In comments to Baki Xabar Nasimi Mammadli,
head of the party's executive body, said they declined because the
statement contained assertions that the Azerbaijani authorities comply
with their commitments to international organizations. "It would be a
very wrong step for us to sign this document and therefore we did not
attend the meeting," he said.
Mammadli also disagreed with the notion that this was a dialogue
between the authorities and the opposition. "This cannot be viewed as
authorities-opposition dialogue. This opinion was made because of a
rush," he said.
Democratic Party of Azerbaijan
Hasrat Rustamov, who represented the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan at
the meeting, pointed out that parties did not send their leaders.
"Neither NAP [ruling New Azerbaijan Party], nor other parties were
represented by their chairmen. What matters is that the authorities
and the opposition managed to come together. We believe it is
unacceptable that international organizations are using this
opportunity to put any pressure or threats against the Azerbaijani
state," he said.
"This meeting can be viewed as dialogue. I believe that when domestic
problems are put on the table in this fashion, this can be regarded as
dialogue," Rustamov said.
Government
The government is ready for dialogue with the opposition, the APA news
agency quoted Ali Hasanov, head of the presidential administration's
department for public and political affairs as saying on 18 September.
Hasanov said that the contacts will be strengthened ahead of the 2013
presidential election.
Baki Xabar's comments
It turns out that implementing the dialogue was not difficult, the
report said. "As they announced before, by accepting the invitation of
the NAP functionaries concerning Ramil Safarov, the opposition showed
that they are ready to take a united position with the authorities on
national matters. That is, it shows that the authorities can realize
dialogue with the opposition on Nagornyy Karabakh and other topics and
thus help reduce the tension in society," it added.
"However, different approaches to this issue emerged within the
opposition. Some members of the opposition camp believe that the
opposition should not have joined the event, that the People's Front
of Azerbaijan Party and the Musavat Party made a wrong move by going
to the NAP and so on. Some members of the Musavat Party even left the
party in protest over this matter," Baki Xabar reported.
[translated from Azeri]
From: Baghdasarian
sept 18 2012
Mixed reaction to joint statement by Azeri ruling, opposition parties
The decision of some opposition parties to join the government's
statement with regard to the recent resolution by the European
Parliament has generated mixed reaction in Azerbaijan.
According to the resolution, Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov's
pardon is considered as a breach of diplomatic assurances by the
Hungarian authorities that Ramil Safarov could be released only after
serving 25 years of punishment.
The Baki Xabar private newspaper interviewed on 18 September several
opposition politicians on what they think about the statement signed
jointly by the ruling and the opposition parties on 14 September.
Musavat Party
The chairman of the major opposition Musavat Party, Isa Qambar, said
that the party decided to sign the statement following consultations
within the party and with its allies. "I am certain that our decision
is correct both tactically and strategically and within a short period
of time everybody will see this," Qambar said. He added that the party
is ready to discuss this matter with those who left the party because
of this meeting.
Qambar also said that the media did not carry the final text of the
statement. "The text published by newspapers is a draft, some of our
suggestions were accepted during the discussion and probably there
will be some corrections in the final text," the party leader said.
The deputy chairman of the party, Gulaga Aslanli, who represented the
Musavat Party during the meeting, said that this was a national issue.
"Considering that Armenians are conducting a mass campaign on the
matter of Ramil Safarov in their favour, the activation of ASALA and
several other issues that are not revealed, the Musavat Party believes
that the provision of the European Parliament's resolution concerning
the Azerbaijani officer is not right," he said.
Hope Party
However, the Hope Party declined the invitation to the meeting and did
not sign the declaration. In comments to Baki Xabar Nasimi Mammadli,
head of the party's executive body, said they declined because the
statement contained assertions that the Azerbaijani authorities comply
with their commitments to international organizations. "It would be a
very wrong step for us to sign this document and therefore we did not
attend the meeting," he said.
Mammadli also disagreed with the notion that this was a dialogue
between the authorities and the opposition. "This cannot be viewed as
authorities-opposition dialogue. This opinion was made because of a
rush," he said.
Democratic Party of Azerbaijan
Hasrat Rustamov, who represented the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan at
the meeting, pointed out that parties did not send their leaders.
"Neither NAP [ruling New Azerbaijan Party], nor other parties were
represented by their chairmen. What matters is that the authorities
and the opposition managed to come together. We believe it is
unacceptable that international organizations are using this
opportunity to put any pressure or threats against the Azerbaijani
state," he said.
"This meeting can be viewed as dialogue. I believe that when domestic
problems are put on the table in this fashion, this can be regarded as
dialogue," Rustamov said.
Government
The government is ready for dialogue with the opposition, the APA news
agency quoted Ali Hasanov, head of the presidential administration's
department for public and political affairs as saying on 18 September.
Hasanov said that the contacts will be strengthened ahead of the 2013
presidential election.
Baki Xabar's comments
It turns out that implementing the dialogue was not difficult, the
report said. "As they announced before, by accepting the invitation of
the NAP functionaries concerning Ramil Safarov, the opposition showed
that they are ready to take a united position with the authorities on
national matters. That is, it shows that the authorities can realize
dialogue with the opposition on Nagornyy Karabakh and other topics and
thus help reduce the tension in society," it added.
"However, different approaches to this issue emerged within the
opposition. Some members of the opposition camp believe that the
opposition should not have joined the event, that the People's Front
of Azerbaijan Party and the Musavat Party made a wrong move by going
to the NAP and so on. Some members of the Musavat Party even left the
party in protest over this matter," Baki Xabar reported.
[translated from Azeri]
From: Baghdasarian