Azerbaijan, Baku, 3 May /corr. Trend S.Ilhamgizi / The Leader of Azerbaijan Liberal Party (ALP), Lale Shovkat, considers that the international organizations should put pressure on the Government of Azerbaijan to ensure democratic elections and create favorable election situation in the country.
"If the international organizations put pressure, the elections may be held rather democratically," Lale Shovkat reported to Trend .
The representatives of the OSCE, Council of Europe and European Commission in Azerbaijan announced the program of support to the presidential elections in October in Azerbaijan. The program says that it needs to strengthen experience and independence of executive structures and participants involved in the elections, make a contribution to media, support appropriate implementation of freedom of assembly and increase the interest of society in the election process.
Shovkat considers that the democratic elections are not ensured through simple statements. "We have much heard such challenges and statements. Based on my own experience, I can say that these challenges and statements practically have not yielded any results," Shovkat said.
According to her, Azadlyg bloc, where ALP is represented, has repeatedly appealed to the Council of Europe, OSCE with requirements to take measures on implementation of obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan. Shovkat considers that the international organizations have the mechanism of putting pressure on the countries with regards to democracy and they should bring it into action.
"In her statement last year in Vilnius, the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that if the international community highlights the necessity of holding free and democratic elections in the countries, it should be implemented. The 2006-2007 report by the US Department of State says that the citizens of Azerbaijan have been deprived of their rights to democratically change the power. We also support the opinion that there is an undeclared emergency situation, there are not any opportunities in Azerbaijan to hold demonstrations, make speeches on televisions," Shovkat said.
The US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Anne E. Derse, said that she wishes the opposition to participate in the presidential elections and called on everybody to attend the election process.
Shovkat stressed that this challenge of the Ambassador is clear. However, Azadlyg bloc is not going to attend the elections if the freedom of assembly, freedom of speech is not ensured. "We consider that if the Government demonstrates political will, it is possible to hold democratic elections under the current election law. Otherwise, we will not participate in the election show," the opposition leader said.
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