Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 9 / Trend A. Huseynbala /
The Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat will continue its opposition stance despite losing financial support from a staunch anti-government party head.
"It is impossible to make any changes because the newspaper was published under the signature of Isa Gambar," Rauf Arifoglu told Trend today. "He did not interfere in its activity. The newspaper was independent. The staff and I determined the course. This process will continue. We will preserve our critical, opposition position. We will keep the same relations with the Musavat party and its head. Perhaps, the relations will be even closer."
The newspaper's twentieth anniversary was marked Nov. 8.
Musavat Party head Isa Gambar refused to continue funding the newspaper earlier this year. He said his decision will be formally executed soon and wished success to the publication.
Gambar has funded the paper since 1993. The paper was founded Nov. 10, 1989.
Arifoglu said the paper will continue to criticize the party when necessary.
"When necessary, we objectively criticized the party and its founders," he said. "We tested Gambar and other democratic bloc leaders to check their tolerance of media criticism."
He said the criticism was stipulated by their inability to come to power.
"They do not have any other areas of activity to be criticized," Arifoglu said.
Gambar was parliamentary speaker in the Milli Majlis from 1992-1993 and a candidate in the 2003 presidential elections.
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