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AZERI PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES PASSIONATELY DEBATE POLITICS, HUMAN RIGHTS
ITV, Azerbaijan
24 sept 2013
During prime-time round table TV debates, Azerbaijani presidential
candidates have discussed the disputed Nagornyy Karabakh region, human
rights and the political opposition in Azerbaijan. The debates were
held on 24, 26 and 28 September and broadcast live by Public TV. Ten
candidates are contesting the 9 October election in the country.
Karabakh conflict
Throughout the televised debates, the single candidate of the
opposition alliance National Council of Democratic Forces (National
Council), Camil Hasanli, criticized the Azerbaijani government for
failing to regain control over the Armenian-controlled Nagornyy
Karabakh region.
"It is totally unacceptable for someone who has not been able to
liberate even 10 cm of occupied lands to run for presidency for
a third term... A corrupt government can never liberate lands,"
Hasanli said on 24 September.
Mubariz Qurbanli, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party, rebuffed Hasanli and accused the National Council
of using the "Karabakh card" against the government, countering that
it was during the opposition's time in government that Azerbaijan
was forced to cede control of the region.
Pro-government MP and self-nominated candidate Zahid Oruc described
Hasanli's remarks as "overly emotional" and said that the government
had made progress in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
"A lot of work has been done to this end. Azerbaijan has moved the
Karabakh war onto a political level. Our diplomatic positions have
become stronger. And what have opposition forces done during these
years? This nation has closed its wounds. If you want to turn the
entire country into a martyrs' avenue [Martyrs Avenue is a place
in Baku where people killed on 20 January 1990 - during the Soviet
invasion of Baku, and during the early 1990s Karabakh war are buried],
this will not happen," Oruc said.
Akif Heydarov, proxy of presidential candidate and Justice party
chairman Ilyas Ismayilov, said: "It is a crime to agree to leave one's
lands under occupation." Heydarov protested the role of international
negotiators - the OSCE Minsk Group, saying that his party distrusted
their neutrality.
During the debate on 28 September, Mais Gulaliyev, another proxy
of Ilyas Ismayilov who has the endorsement of the leader of the
Iranian-backed Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, blamed the USA for
"helping the separatist regime in Karabakh". Gulaliyev said that it was
important that the USA should change its stance on Nagornyy Karabakh
if the conflict was to be resolved. However, Gulaliyev alleged that
the USA and the West were not interested in resolving the conflict
due to their energy interests in Azerbaijan.
Human rights
Heydarov criticized the imprisonment of Islamic activists and
condemned the violation of their human rights. He acknowledged that
the government had softened its stance toward religion ahead of the
election, but warned citizens "not to be deceived by the political
interests of such persons".
BBCM note: According to the committee on protection of Islamists'
rights, 100 Islamists were detained in Azerbaijan during 2010-13,
pro-opposition Turan news agency reported on 19 September.
Sardar Calaloglu, chairman of the opposition Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan, cautioned the government against human rights violations
in the country, warning that Azerbaijan might end up like Arab Spring
countries if the government did not change its policies.
Hasanli accused the government of corruption, monopoly and imprisonment
of citizens on trumped-up charges. He slammed incumbent President
Aliyev for refusing to take part in the debates and condemned the
arrest of the opposition People's Front of Azerbaijan Party chairman's
son as "persecution", adding "this government cannot tolerate six
minutes allocated to an opposition candidate's speech".
National Council under fire
The National Council came under fire during the 24 September debate.
The leader of the pro-government Modern Musavat party, Hafiz Haciyev,
and Chairman of the leftist Social Democratic Party Araz Alizada both
accused the National Council for "lacking" an election platform.
Alizada accused the National Council of seeking "to overturn the
government in Azerbaijan with foreign money". MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev,
leader of the pro-government United Azerbaijan People's Front Party,
made similar accusations during the 26 September debate, saying that
the opposition bloc "has turned into actors of the script written in
Moscow". He also slammed the National Council for cooperating with
"Iran-linked" Islamists.
Sardar Calaloglu said that his party had not joined the National
Council because both it and the government had "double standards". He
described the National Council as "revanchists" and criticized them
for being "aggressive." He also spoke of the "internal disagreements"
in the National Council, highlighting this as the key factor behind
the opposition bloc not getting stronger.
[Translated from Azeri]
ITV, Azerbaijan
24 sept 2013
During prime-time round table TV debates, Azerbaijani presidential
candidates have discussed the disputed Nagornyy Karabakh region, human
rights and the political opposition in Azerbaijan. The debates were
held on 24, 26 and 28 September and broadcast live by Public TV. Ten
candidates are contesting the 9 October election in the country.
Karabakh conflict
Throughout the televised debates, the single candidate of the
opposition alliance National Council of Democratic Forces (National
Council), Camil Hasanli, criticized the Azerbaijani government for
failing to regain control over the Armenian-controlled Nagornyy
Karabakh region.
"It is totally unacceptable for someone who has not been able to
liberate even 10 cm of occupied lands to run for presidency for
a third term... A corrupt government can never liberate lands,"
Hasanli said on 24 September.
Mubariz Qurbanli, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party, rebuffed Hasanli and accused the National Council
of using the "Karabakh card" against the government, countering that
it was during the opposition's time in government that Azerbaijan
was forced to cede control of the region.
Pro-government MP and self-nominated candidate Zahid Oruc described
Hasanli's remarks as "overly emotional" and said that the government
had made progress in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
"A lot of work has been done to this end. Azerbaijan has moved the
Karabakh war onto a political level. Our diplomatic positions have
become stronger. And what have opposition forces done during these
years? This nation has closed its wounds. If you want to turn the
entire country into a martyrs' avenue [Martyrs Avenue is a place
in Baku where people killed on 20 January 1990 - during the Soviet
invasion of Baku, and during the early 1990s Karabakh war are buried],
this will not happen," Oruc said.
Akif Heydarov, proxy of presidential candidate and Justice party
chairman Ilyas Ismayilov, said: "It is a crime to agree to leave one's
lands under occupation." Heydarov protested the role of international
negotiators - the OSCE Minsk Group, saying that his party distrusted
their neutrality.
During the debate on 28 September, Mais Gulaliyev, another proxy
of Ilyas Ismayilov who has the endorsement of the leader of the
Iranian-backed Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, blamed the USA for
"helping the separatist regime in Karabakh". Gulaliyev said that it was
important that the USA should change its stance on Nagornyy Karabakh
if the conflict was to be resolved. However, Gulaliyev alleged that
the USA and the West were not interested in resolving the conflict
due to their energy interests in Azerbaijan.
Human rights
Heydarov criticized the imprisonment of Islamic activists and
condemned the violation of their human rights. He acknowledged that
the government had softened its stance toward religion ahead of the
election, but warned citizens "not to be deceived by the political
interests of such persons".
BBCM note: According to the committee on protection of Islamists'
rights, 100 Islamists were detained in Azerbaijan during 2010-13,
pro-opposition Turan news agency reported on 19 September.
Sardar Calaloglu, chairman of the opposition Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan, cautioned the government against human rights violations
in the country, warning that Azerbaijan might end up like Arab Spring
countries if the government did not change its policies.
Hasanli accused the government of corruption, monopoly and imprisonment
of citizens on trumped-up charges. He slammed incumbent President
Aliyev for refusing to take part in the debates and condemned the
arrest of the opposition People's Front of Azerbaijan Party chairman's
son as "persecution", adding "this government cannot tolerate six
minutes allocated to an opposition candidate's speech".
National Council under fire
The National Council came under fire during the 24 September debate.
The leader of the pro-government Modern Musavat party, Hafiz Haciyev,
and Chairman of the leftist Social Democratic Party Araz Alizada both
accused the National Council for "lacking" an election platform.
Alizada accused the National Council of seeking "to overturn the
government in Azerbaijan with foreign money". MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev,
leader of the pro-government United Azerbaijan People's Front Party,
made similar accusations during the 26 September debate, saying that
the opposition bloc "has turned into actors of the script written in
Moscow". He also slammed the National Council for cooperating with
"Iran-linked" Islamists.
Sardar Calaloglu said that his party had not joined the National
Council because both it and the government had "double standards". He
described the National Council as "revanchists" and criticized them
for being "aggressive." He also spoke of the "internal disagreements"
in the National Council, highlighting this as the key factor behind
the opposition bloc not getting stronger.
[Translated from Azeri]