Azerbaijani Opposition Says Bill on Freedom of Assembly has Become Stern
Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 May / Trend corr. E.Babayev / Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), stated to Trend that no proposals by the opposition were taken into consideration while making supplements and amendments into the Bill on Freedom of Assembly.
The amendments and supplements to the Bill on Freedom of Assembly will be submitted o the Parliamnt for consideration in the near furture. The project was developed by the Council of Europe Veniece Commission and Azerbaijani government. Veniece Commission positively assesses the project.
Veniece Commission listened to the poposal by the opposition, concerning excluding the appeal to the Excutive Power to sanction mass action from the legislation.
Alibayli stated that the opposition would like to exclude the item, concerning appeal to the Executive Power to sanction rally, from the legislation. "This item has not been changed so far. I have already got familiar with the project. No important amendments and supplements have been injected in the Bill. I believe that the Bill has become rather stern. Under the amendments and supplements, police has the power to stop rally at any time," Alibayli added.
PFPA is a member and co-founder of the Azadlig bloc. Abulfaz Elchibay, Ex-President t of Azerbaijan, was the founder of the party. Ali Karimli, ex-MP, has been the chairman of the party since 2000.
Mubariz Gurbanli, Deputy Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), stated to Trend that the proposals by the opposition were not taken into consideration because they could lead to disorder in the country. "Opposition wanted to stage rallies wherever they want. The statements that the Bill has become stern were not also true," Gurbanli stated.
NAP was founded in Nakhchivan in 1992. The all-nation leader, the late ex-President Heydar Aliyev was the Party's first Chairman. President Ilham Aliyev is the current chairman of the Party, which has been in power for 14 years.
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