Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr I. Alizadeh / Nobody wants to take up organization of the next forum of opposition parties, the chairman of the Open Society party, Akif Shahbazov, reported in Baku on 14 September.
"We send a letter to the chairmen of opposition parties and NGOs suggesting them to take up organization of the next forum. But nobody has replied to the appeal so far. Nobody wants to take up the organization," Shahbazov said.
The opposition's first forum initiated by Rasul Guliyev residing in the US was held in May. Improvement of the Election Code, formation of the election committee with the representatives of the opposition and the authorities on parity basis was discussed at the forum and a document reflecting opposition's general view on these issues was adopted. Opposition parties' unwillingness to take up the organization of the next forum is for they are jealous of the first forum initiated by Rasul Guliyev.
"Opposition parties were not satisfied with the first forum. On the other hand the opposition parties cannot show their sound position. There are also some parties calling itself opposition parties but in fact functioning ton prevent unification of opposition. They do not want the next forum to take place," Shahbazov added.
According to him, the Open Society party does not want to be the organizer of the next forum, for other opposition parties can regard that in a wrong way.
"If we take up the organization, opposition parties will say Rasul Guliyev monopolized this field. Therefore, we want another opposition party to take up the work. If within the next 2 or 3 months nobody takes up the organization, the Open Society Party will commence discussions in the connection," he said.
Shahbazov believes opposition parties' common positions regarding the presidential elections of 2008 can be discussed at the next forum.
Ex-speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament, Rasul Guliyev, was the leader of the opposition Open Society Party. From 2000 to the February of 2007 Guliyev was the chairman of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA). Guliyev's supporters left DPA, held their congress and founded the Open Society Party.