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AZERI PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARGUE OVER DOMESTIC, FOREIGN POLICIES
ITV, Azerbaijan
Oct 1 2013
Azerbaijani presidential candidates or their proxies argued over the
country's foreign and domestic policies during televised election
campaign debates on 1, 3 and 5 October.
The debates were aired live by Public TV. Six other prime-time debates
had been broadcast by the channel earlier.
Ten candidates are vying for the presidential seat in the 9 October
vote.
Karabakh
The Karabakh territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan was
one of the main topics touched upon during the debates.
MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev, leader of the pro-government United Azerbaijan
People's Front Party, said on 1 October that there is no fair and
peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict since "OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs France and the USA are both Christian countries and there
is a strong Armenian lobby there".
He also said that Azerbaijan must negotiate the conflict's resolution
with Russia, which "was directly involved in the occupation of our
lands and is the main reason they [lands] remain under occupation".
Ilyas Ismayilov, chairman of the Justice party, which is supported by
the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, said on 5 October that the Karabakh
conflict must be removed from the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group
since no progress has been made in the conflict resolution so far.
The leader of the opposition Hope party, Iqbal Agazada, devoted his
speech during the 3 October debate to the Karabakh conflict and called
on internally displaced persons to vote for him.
"This government has failed to resolve the Karabakh problem for 20
years. It is the government's task to ensure territorial integrity.
For this it is necessary that a new force with new ideas and approaches
should come to power," Agazada said.
West, Iran, USA
At the 3 October debate, Mais Gulaliyev, representative of the Justice
party leader, spoke about Azerbaijan's dependence on the oil sector,
saying that it serves Western interests.
"The West encourages corruption [in Azerbaijan] because officials
keep their money in Western banks," he said.
"The country needs to be saved from oil revenues. These resources
should be accumulated and used to create alternative energy sources.
It is necessary to stop transfers from the Oil Fund to the state
budget. We need to put an end to our dependence on the oil sector. We
need to develop a real non-oil sector of economy," he continued.
Pro-government MP and self-nominated candidate Zahid Oruc accused
the West of expanding its domination under democratic ideas and
human rights.
Farac Quliyev, leader of the National Awakening Movement Party,
disagreed with the criticism of the West.
"We have seen the positions of both Iran and Russia in the Karabakh
issue. Some of the candidates received support from those countries and
now, by criticizing the West, they seek to elevate those countries. We
need to become integrated into Europe and establish partnership
relations with the USA and Israel and brotherly ties with Turkey,"
Quliyev said.
During the 1 October debate, Quliyev called for the protection of the
rights of what he described as 40 million ethnic Azeris in Iran. He
said Azeris who relocate to Azerbaijan from Iran must have equal
rights with Azerbaijani citizens, adding that the national movement
of Azeris in Iran must be supported.
Praise for president, criticism of opposition
During the 1 October debate, incumbent President Ilham Aliyev's
proxy Mubariz Qurbanli said there is stability in the country and
praised the government's "successful" foreign policy. He mentioned
that Azerbaijan would chair the UN Security Council from October and
cited the removal of "the last foreign military facility" (referring
to formerly Russian-leased Qabala radar station) and the pardoning of
an Azerbaijani officer convicted in Budapest of killing an Armenian
officer as examples of Aliyev's "decisive" moves.
Qurbanli, who is a deputy executive secretary of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party, accused the "radical opposition" of not sharing the
Azerbaijani people's happiness over victories at sports events and in
the Eurovision Song Contest. Qurbanli was referring to anti-government
protests staged ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Baku
in 2012.
At the same debate, pro-government MP Zahid Oruc accused the opposition
alliance National Council of Democratic Forces of "political
extremism" and compared the political opposition in Azerbaijan to
that in Afghanistan and Egypt.
BBCM note: Government officials and some opposition parties refer to
the National Council as "radical opposition". The council comprises
several opposition parties, including the leading ones - Musavat and
the People's Front of Azerbaijan Party.
Opposition candidate may flee
Zahid Oruc also said that the single candidate of the opposition
National Council, Camil Hasanli, sought to flee the country after the
election. Hasanli denied the claim, saying: "I have come here by the
decision of the National Council and due to my nation's will. I will
continue to be at the front rank in my nation's fight for freedom."
On 27 September, Baku-based avrasiya.net news website quoted an
unnamed source as saying that Hasanli planned to leave Azerbaijan
for a foreign country - most likely the UK - ahead of the election
and not to return if Aliyev was re-elected.
National Council's programme
Meanwhile, Camil Hasanli set out a programme of social and economic
reforms during the final campaign debate on 5 October. He promised to
double or triple pensions and also the salaries of teachers, doctors,
and state officials; to offer help to home-buyers by reducing interest
rates and increasing mortgages 20-fold. Hasanli also pledged that
if elected he would halve utilities tariffs and defend citizens'
property rights. He said he would also grant amnesty to people jailed
"unjustly".
"Coalition government"
Sardar Calaloglu, chairman of the opposition Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan, said during the 5 October debate that if elected, he
would form a coalition government where both government and "radical
opposition" would be represented. He said he was ready to form a
coalition if he was not elected president. Calaloglu also said that
there must be "gradual transition" to democracy.
His proxy Hasrat Rustamov said at the 1 October debate that "the
relationship between the government and the opposition must be
transformed from animosity into the level of political rivalry".
At the same debate on 1 October, MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev urged the other
candidates to reject "sentiments of political revenge". He said that
changes in Azerbaijan should be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
[Translated from Azeri]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
ITV, Azerbaijan
Oct 1 2013
Azerbaijani presidential candidates or their proxies argued over the
country's foreign and domestic policies during televised election
campaign debates on 1, 3 and 5 October.
The debates were aired live by Public TV. Six other prime-time debates
had been broadcast by the channel earlier.
Ten candidates are vying for the presidential seat in the 9 October
vote.
Karabakh
The Karabakh territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan was
one of the main topics touched upon during the debates.
MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev, leader of the pro-government United Azerbaijan
People's Front Party, said on 1 October that there is no fair and
peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict since "OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs France and the USA are both Christian countries and there
is a strong Armenian lobby there".
He also said that Azerbaijan must negotiate the conflict's resolution
with Russia, which "was directly involved in the occupation of our
lands and is the main reason they [lands] remain under occupation".
Ilyas Ismayilov, chairman of the Justice party, which is supported by
the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, said on 5 October that the Karabakh
conflict must be removed from the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group
since no progress has been made in the conflict resolution so far.
The leader of the opposition Hope party, Iqbal Agazada, devoted his
speech during the 3 October debate to the Karabakh conflict and called
on internally displaced persons to vote for him.
"This government has failed to resolve the Karabakh problem for 20
years. It is the government's task to ensure territorial integrity.
For this it is necessary that a new force with new ideas and approaches
should come to power," Agazada said.
West, Iran, USA
At the 3 October debate, Mais Gulaliyev, representative of the Justice
party leader, spoke about Azerbaijan's dependence on the oil sector,
saying that it serves Western interests.
"The West encourages corruption [in Azerbaijan] because officials
keep their money in Western banks," he said.
"The country needs to be saved from oil revenues. These resources
should be accumulated and used to create alternative energy sources.
It is necessary to stop transfers from the Oil Fund to the state
budget. We need to put an end to our dependence on the oil sector. We
need to develop a real non-oil sector of economy," he continued.
Pro-government MP and self-nominated candidate Zahid Oruc accused
the West of expanding its domination under democratic ideas and
human rights.
Farac Quliyev, leader of the National Awakening Movement Party,
disagreed with the criticism of the West.
"We have seen the positions of both Iran and Russia in the Karabakh
issue. Some of the candidates received support from those countries and
now, by criticizing the West, they seek to elevate those countries. We
need to become integrated into Europe and establish partnership
relations with the USA and Israel and brotherly ties with Turkey,"
Quliyev said.
During the 1 October debate, Quliyev called for the protection of the
rights of what he described as 40 million ethnic Azeris in Iran. He
said Azeris who relocate to Azerbaijan from Iran must have equal
rights with Azerbaijani citizens, adding that the national movement
of Azeris in Iran must be supported.
Praise for president, criticism of opposition
During the 1 October debate, incumbent President Ilham Aliyev's
proxy Mubariz Qurbanli said there is stability in the country and
praised the government's "successful" foreign policy. He mentioned
that Azerbaijan would chair the UN Security Council from October and
cited the removal of "the last foreign military facility" (referring
to formerly Russian-leased Qabala radar station) and the pardoning of
an Azerbaijani officer convicted in Budapest of killing an Armenian
officer as examples of Aliyev's "decisive" moves.
Qurbanli, who is a deputy executive secretary of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party, accused the "radical opposition" of not sharing the
Azerbaijani people's happiness over victories at sports events and in
the Eurovision Song Contest. Qurbanli was referring to anti-government
protests staged ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Baku
in 2012.
At the same debate, pro-government MP Zahid Oruc accused the opposition
alliance National Council of Democratic Forces of "political
extremism" and compared the political opposition in Azerbaijan to
that in Afghanistan and Egypt.
BBCM note: Government officials and some opposition parties refer to
the National Council as "radical opposition". The council comprises
several opposition parties, including the leading ones - Musavat and
the People's Front of Azerbaijan Party.
Opposition candidate may flee
Zahid Oruc also said that the single candidate of the opposition
National Council, Camil Hasanli, sought to flee the country after the
election. Hasanli denied the claim, saying: "I have come here by the
decision of the National Council and due to my nation's will. I will
continue to be at the front rank in my nation's fight for freedom."
On 27 September, Baku-based avrasiya.net news website quoted an
unnamed source as saying that Hasanli planned to leave Azerbaijan
for a foreign country - most likely the UK - ahead of the election
and not to return if Aliyev was re-elected.
National Council's programme
Meanwhile, Camil Hasanli set out a programme of social and economic
reforms during the final campaign debate on 5 October. He promised to
double or triple pensions and also the salaries of teachers, doctors,
and state officials; to offer help to home-buyers by reducing interest
rates and increasing mortgages 20-fold. Hasanli also pledged that
if elected he would halve utilities tariffs and defend citizens'
property rights. He said he would also grant amnesty to people jailed
"unjustly".
"Coalition government"
Sardar Calaloglu, chairman of the opposition Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan, said during the 5 October debate that if elected, he
would form a coalition government where both government and "radical
opposition" would be represented. He said he was ready to form a
coalition if he was not elected president. Calaloglu also said that
there must be "gradual transition" to democracy.
His proxy Hasrat Rustamov said at the 1 October debate that "the
relationship between the government and the opposition must be
transformed from animosity into the level of political rivalry".
At the same debate on 1 October, MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev urged the other
candidates to reject "sentiments of political revenge". He said that
changes in Azerbaijan should be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
[Translated from Azeri]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress