Andreas Gross, a rapproteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for Azerbaijan, and forces advocating his image in our country, shouldn’t represent “this Swiss deputy as a great democrat in Europe,” according to a senior official at the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP).
“The recent statement by PACE rapporteur for Azerbaijan, Andreas Gross, which was made public in the local press, is nothing but a clear indication that this man and democracy are quite different things,” YAP executive secretary, MP Ali Ahmadov told Trend.
The statement angered the Azerbaijani authorities, because of the PACE rapporteur’s opinion about the future composition of the country’s fourth parliament.
“Democracy is a will of the nation. It will be the people of Azerbaijan, who will decide on the number and membership of the deputies, to become MPs. What contradicts democracy is the latest statement by a non-citizen of Azerbaijan вЂ" but a representative of an international organization вЂ" concerning the necessity of making everything arranged for having more than 25 opposition deputies in parliament. This [statement] should be regarded as a meddling in sovereign rights of the people of Azerbaijan. I think that in a sign of defending their sovereign rights, the people of Azerbaijan will manifest their attitude towards the statement by Andreas Gross,” Ahmadov concluded.