The chairman of the Open Society Institute George Soros expressed on 23 September 2005 in "The Financial Times" newspaper his attitude to the forthcoming parliamentary elections. In his article the known Maecenas calls on Azerbaijan to use the opening opportunity to show that the country can build a real democracy, without resorting to the revolution, Trend reports.
В"Revolution is destruction by its definition. Revolution gives way to democratic reforms, but does not give any guarantees to anyone. National uprisings in Georgia, Ukraine, Kirgizistan became a large move to democratization of these countries, however, after the revolutionary euphoria vanished their politicians faced the necessity to build democracy starting with null.
Georgia reached in this sense definite successes, however, Ukraine experiences now problems; the situation remains also troubled in Kirgizistan”, the article reads.
In the opinion of George Soros, Azerbaijan may quite refrain from such a scenario. В"Рђzerbaijan is a poor country, although it possesses much natural wealth. Its government has already made certain moves on establishing the Oil Fund, which would ensure to work these resources for the benefit of its citizens, showing by this the readiness to be responsible to its people for their own actions and deeds, and deliberately distancionating from the majority of the oil countries leaders which fill up their pockets on the account of their own people Azerbaijan became one of the first countries where the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Program, put forward by the United Kingdom and the World Bank commenced working and developing and establishing motivation for the authorities and the oil companies to opening their finances”, George Soros notes.
To his mind, the situation cannot be changed immediately. “However, the authorities are to start even now and continue after the elections the work which would advance the country to fulfilling this task.
The civil society of Azerbaijan is also to overcome a lot of obstacles and first of all it refers to the internal demarcation.
As the basic core of the democratic reform in the country is to be the Parliament, the civil society’s structures are to launch the work among the electors and call them to participate in the elections.
Even today much said in Azerbaijan about exit-polls which emphasizes their importance in achieving really true and authentic results”, Soros thinks.