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CURTSY BY ALIYEV, IGNORANT PROPAGATORS AND THE "STICK AND CARROT POLICY"
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1117:-curtsy-by-aliyev-ignorant-propagators-and-the-stick-and-carrot-policy&catid=5:politics&Itemid=17
Friday, 02 August 2013 16:59
The steps taken by the political elite of Azerbaijan clearly show that
its today's topic of concern is the presidential election. And the
election campaign, as it is known, requires an active and targeted
propaganda. Realizing this fact, Ilham Aliyev decided to stress the
significance of journalists' work on the National Press Day.
But, the generous President of Azerbaijan could not be satisfied with
just words, and his basic curtsy, of course, would have a material
content.
He thought or he was prompted that they could cajole the journalists
by, first of all, granting them apartments. It concerns the
journalists serving the ruling regime rather than those who are
imprisoned by Aliyev-the-junior for free expression, for criticizing
the administration's policy and who were severely beaten with rubber
truncheons by the Azerbaijani policemen in the Fountains Square in Baku
for being active at the protest demonstrations, to which, by the way,
international organizations have repeatedly given their assessment.
The fact that the ruling elite is preparing for the presidential race,
pleasing the journalists with gifts, is not surprising at all, but the
ugly way that the elite's propaganda is made should be demonstrated.
Recently, one of the Azerbaijani sites issued on the Armenian language
has published two unrelated and illogical information. According
to the July 22 information, the Azerbaijani president was present
at the ceremony of putting into operation the residential building
for journalists, congratulating the mass media representatives on
the occasion of the National Press Day and noting that Azerbaijan was
the first country where houses for journalists were built. Reportedly,
the country's leader also noted that the profession of journalism was a
very difficult and responsible task, and as the media workers could not
independently solve their housing problem, the government helped them.
According to the second information, the President of Azerbaijan
signed a decree on July 23 on additional measures for strengthening
the social and economic security of the mass media. It was decided
to allocate $ 5 million manats from the presidential reserve fund
envisaged by the 2013 budget for implementing the first stage of the
residential building construction, and the ministry of finance was
instructed to provide the amount through the corresponding procedure.
A question arises: how can it happen that the building for journalists
was put into operation on July 22, Ilham Aliyev made a speech at
the ceremony, and a day later, on July 23, he signed an order on
allocating funds for the construction of a residential building,
giving corresponding instructions.
To have a certain influence on the Armenian side, the Armenian-language
mass media didn't even imagine that the reader would compare these two
reports. But, as their goal was propaganda, though in the ugliest way,
so the means were not so important.
But, this is one side of the cause. Aliyev-the-junior is a leader with
a quite low rating at the international arena, and his team is aimed
today at saving the president's rating decreasing to zero. According to
the Azerbaijani propagators, Aliyev makes an impression on the outside
world when he announces that Azerbaijan is the first country where
houses are built for journalists and the grounds of the free press,
as it has turned out, were laid by national leader Heydar Aliyev by
eliminating censorship.
The world is aware that Azerbaijan is among the oppressive countries,
where the rights and freedoms of journalists are violated.
It has been repeatedly raised by international structures during the
meetings with the officials in Baku, but as we know, the international
structures represented the only interested side at these meetings. The
political figures devoted to the Azerbaijani president are doing
their best to present the acting president as the most popular and
indisputable presidential candidacy.
As the events are related directly to the Azerbaijani information
field, we think it is necessary to recall the statement spread in
November 2012 by the Azerbaijani mass media, which was issued by the
delegation of the OSCE, the EU and the CE in Baku. The latter called
upon the Azerbaijani authorities to release the imprisoned journalists
and political activists. In its statement, the delegation expressed
its concern about the fact that the people had been imprisoned for
criticizing the authorities. The delegates urged official Baku to
conduct an impartial and transparent investigation on the cases of
attacks on journalists.
Let's add to the abovementioned that in late 2012, PACE co-rapporteurs
of the monitoring group on Azerbaijan Pedro Agramunt and Joseph
Greh presented their grounded viewpoint on the situation of human
rights and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. Actually, their report
gave an assessment of the ilhamaliyev regime. The co-rapporteurs
stressed in the document that the increased fines for unauthorized
demonstrations and the strict ban of protest rallies in the center
of Baku are directed against the freedom of speech and assembly
in the country. Thus, they evaluated the level of implementation
of the commitments assumed by official Baku before the Council of
Europe. They were concerned about the amendments introduced in the
Criminal and Administrative Codes of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
which, in their opinion, may have an additional negative impact on
the freedom of speech and assembly.
Last year, as we know, the opposition political forces held several
protest rallies in the Fountains Square, which included journalists
and which were suppressed brutality by the Azerbaijani police. After
the events, the punishment against the organizers became stricter,
depending on their role. Considering the realities, the co-rapporteurs
stressed that the Azerbaijani authorities should change their attitude
to the organizers of protest rallies and journalists.
Before preparing the report, a survey was held in Baku, according to
which 60 per cent of the population approved the demonstrations and
rallies aimed at the protection of the citizens' rights.
The PACE monitoring group co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan made Ilham
Aliyev understand that Azerbaijan must put an end to the violations
against journalists, organizers of the protest demonstrations, and
political prisoners.
All the signals of the kind were ignored by Ilham Aliyev.
Today, they mean nothing for him either. He is getting ready for the
presidential election in a traditional manner, cajoling, wheedling,
and winning over. And if journalists join the opposition forces'
rallies, Aliyev will suppress them brutally, involving the police and
using rubber clubs. It follows from this all that the Azerbaijani
president establishes relations with his country's journalists on
the principle of the "stick and carrot policy".
Ruzan ISHKHANIAN
From: Baghdasarian
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1117:-curtsy-by-aliyev-ignorant-propagators-and-the-stick-and-carrot-policy&catid=5:politics&Itemid=17
Friday, 02 August 2013 16:59
The steps taken by the political elite of Azerbaijan clearly show that
its today's topic of concern is the presidential election. And the
election campaign, as it is known, requires an active and targeted
propaganda. Realizing this fact, Ilham Aliyev decided to stress the
significance of journalists' work on the National Press Day.
But, the generous President of Azerbaijan could not be satisfied with
just words, and his basic curtsy, of course, would have a material
content.
He thought or he was prompted that they could cajole the journalists
by, first of all, granting them apartments. It concerns the
journalists serving the ruling regime rather than those who are
imprisoned by Aliyev-the-junior for free expression, for criticizing
the administration's policy and who were severely beaten with rubber
truncheons by the Azerbaijani policemen in the Fountains Square in Baku
for being active at the protest demonstrations, to which, by the way,
international organizations have repeatedly given their assessment.
The fact that the ruling elite is preparing for the presidential race,
pleasing the journalists with gifts, is not surprising at all, but the
ugly way that the elite's propaganda is made should be demonstrated.
Recently, one of the Azerbaijani sites issued on the Armenian language
has published two unrelated and illogical information. According
to the July 22 information, the Azerbaijani president was present
at the ceremony of putting into operation the residential building
for journalists, congratulating the mass media representatives on
the occasion of the National Press Day and noting that Azerbaijan was
the first country where houses for journalists were built. Reportedly,
the country's leader also noted that the profession of journalism was a
very difficult and responsible task, and as the media workers could not
independently solve their housing problem, the government helped them.
According to the second information, the President of Azerbaijan
signed a decree on July 23 on additional measures for strengthening
the social and economic security of the mass media. It was decided
to allocate $ 5 million manats from the presidential reserve fund
envisaged by the 2013 budget for implementing the first stage of the
residential building construction, and the ministry of finance was
instructed to provide the amount through the corresponding procedure.
A question arises: how can it happen that the building for journalists
was put into operation on July 22, Ilham Aliyev made a speech at
the ceremony, and a day later, on July 23, he signed an order on
allocating funds for the construction of a residential building,
giving corresponding instructions.
To have a certain influence on the Armenian side, the Armenian-language
mass media didn't even imagine that the reader would compare these two
reports. But, as their goal was propaganda, though in the ugliest way,
so the means were not so important.
But, this is one side of the cause. Aliyev-the-junior is a leader with
a quite low rating at the international arena, and his team is aimed
today at saving the president's rating decreasing to zero. According to
the Azerbaijani propagators, Aliyev makes an impression on the outside
world when he announces that Azerbaijan is the first country where
houses are built for journalists and the grounds of the free press,
as it has turned out, were laid by national leader Heydar Aliyev by
eliminating censorship.
The world is aware that Azerbaijan is among the oppressive countries,
where the rights and freedoms of journalists are violated.
It has been repeatedly raised by international structures during the
meetings with the officials in Baku, but as we know, the international
structures represented the only interested side at these meetings. The
political figures devoted to the Azerbaijani president are doing
their best to present the acting president as the most popular and
indisputable presidential candidacy.
As the events are related directly to the Azerbaijani information
field, we think it is necessary to recall the statement spread in
November 2012 by the Azerbaijani mass media, which was issued by the
delegation of the OSCE, the EU and the CE in Baku. The latter called
upon the Azerbaijani authorities to release the imprisoned journalists
and political activists. In its statement, the delegation expressed
its concern about the fact that the people had been imprisoned for
criticizing the authorities. The delegates urged official Baku to
conduct an impartial and transparent investigation on the cases of
attacks on journalists.
Let's add to the abovementioned that in late 2012, PACE co-rapporteurs
of the monitoring group on Azerbaijan Pedro Agramunt and Joseph
Greh presented their grounded viewpoint on the situation of human
rights and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. Actually, their report
gave an assessment of the ilhamaliyev regime. The co-rapporteurs
stressed in the document that the increased fines for unauthorized
demonstrations and the strict ban of protest rallies in the center
of Baku are directed against the freedom of speech and assembly
in the country. Thus, they evaluated the level of implementation
of the commitments assumed by official Baku before the Council of
Europe. They were concerned about the amendments introduced in the
Criminal and Administrative Codes of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
which, in their opinion, may have an additional negative impact on
the freedom of speech and assembly.
Last year, as we know, the opposition political forces held several
protest rallies in the Fountains Square, which included journalists
and which were suppressed brutality by the Azerbaijani police. After
the events, the punishment against the organizers became stricter,
depending on their role. Considering the realities, the co-rapporteurs
stressed that the Azerbaijani authorities should change their attitude
to the organizers of protest rallies and journalists.
Before preparing the report, a survey was held in Baku, according to
which 60 per cent of the population approved the demonstrations and
rallies aimed at the protection of the citizens' rights.
The PACE monitoring group co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan made Ilham
Aliyev understand that Azerbaijan must put an end to the violations
against journalists, organizers of the protest demonstrations, and
political prisoners.
All the signals of the kind were ignored by Ilham Aliyev.
Today, they mean nothing for him either. He is getting ready for the
presidential election in a traditional manner, cajoling, wheedling,
and winning over. And if journalists join the opposition forces'
rallies, Aliyev will suppress them brutally, involving the police and
using rubber clubs. It follows from this all that the Azerbaijani
president establishes relations with his country's journalists on
the principle of the "stick and carrot policy".
Ruzan ISHKHANIAN
From: Baghdasarian