Several Supporters to Boycott Presidential Elections within Ex-Speaker’s Party Increase

Azerbaijan, Baku, 28 April / Trend corr. D.Babayeva / Zamina Dunyamaliyeva, Advisor of Rasul Guliyev, Chairman of the Open Society party (OSP) and ex-Speaker of Azerbaijan, believes that their participation in the upcoming presidential elections will not take place.

The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan in October 2008.

Isa Gambar, the leader of the Musavat party, Sardar Jalaloglu, chairman of Democratic party and Mais Gualaliyev, Chairman of the Green party of Azerbaijan have nominated their candidature to the presidential post. The candidature of Ilham Aliyev will be nominated from the ruling New Azerbaijan party.

Akif Shahbazov, Chairman of OSP, and Yagub Abbasov, Advisor, stated that if no changes take place in the country, they will boycott the presidential elections.

"As he is abroad, Guliyev's participation in the elections will be less effective. However, Guliyev was not allowed to return to Azerbaijan despite documents showing the results of the parliamentary elections in 2005," Dunyamaliyeva said.

If Guliyev cannot return to Azerbaijan, then OSP cannot participate in the elections. Dunyamaliyeva stated that another reason for their non-participation in the approaching elections is that to date the party has not been registered.

Dunyamaliyeva believes that unexpected events could take place during the presidential elections in the country. "The inactivity of pre-elections in the country demonstrates that the current elections could be different," the Advisor stated. Significant information regarding Rasul Guliyev will be announced in May, Dunyamaliyeva added.

The right wing opposition Open Society Party was founded by Guliyev in April 2007. For more than ten years, Guliyev has been living as an emigrant in the United States.