Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 August / Trend corr. E.Babayev / The left centrist Azerbaijan Social-Democratic Party (ASDP) will make the decision with regard to participate in the upcoming presidential elections. "We took the decision regarding participation in the late meeting and neither Araz Alizade nor Ayaz Mutallibov can change this decision," Araz Alizade, the Chairman of the ASDP, told Trend on 5 August.
Azerbaijan will host the presidential elections on 15 October. Another co-chairman of the ASDP, who has been living in exile in Russia, Ayaz Mutallibov has said that he would not take part in the elections. "Participation of ASDP in the elections with another candidate means that the party agrees with the blames that the Government put against it," Mutallibov stated.
Alizade said that the statements by Mutallibov were understood incorrectly. Mutallibov said that he would not participate in the elections. Mutallibov's rights were violated as he has not been allowed to return the country and to participate in the elections. However, our party decided to participate in the elections and we all should respect this decision," Alizade stated. The Central Plenum of ASDP to take the final decision with regard to participate in the elections will be made in the near future," Alizade said.
The SDPA is the left centrist oppositional party. Araz Alizade and Ayaz Mutallibov, ex-president of Azerbaijan, who currently lives in emigration, are the co-chairmen of the party.
Mutallibov was elected first president of Azerbaijan after the independence of the country in 1991. He left the country following the Popular Front of Azerbaijan's accession to power and now lives in Russia.
Mutallibov is on the international search on the basis of accusation by the Prosecutor General. Mutallibov is charged of attempts to coup d'etat, establishment of illegal armed groups, accession to power by force and other heinous crimes.
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