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Azerbaijani Opposition Suggests Dialogue to Government

Politics Materials 12 June 2008 12:07 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 12 June / corr. Trend E. Babayev/ The oppositional Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA) is striving for a dialogue between the opposition and government parties. "We think that the opportunities to develop political relations have exhausted, and we as an opposition do not want to make a revolution. Therefore, the dialogue is very much necessary under such conditions," Serdar Jalaloglu, the DPA chairman said.

The last dialogue between the political parties of Azerbaijan was held prior to the 2005 parliament election. Though there were some proposals to begin a dialogue so far, these initiatives never bore any success.

According to Jalaloglu, the Opposition is ready for a dialogue. "The refusal to hold a dialogue can be considered destructiveness and anti-democratic move," Jalaloglu said and added that DPA has sent the Government several proposals on dialogue since the party abandoned the radical course. "But no move in this regard has been made as yet. We are not going to pose only as an opposition party in the dialogue. If the government gives consent to it, we can start this process with other opposition parties also," Jalaloglu said and noted that DPA has taken necessary steps to start this process.

The political course of the party has undergone profound changes and it has refused from the moves irritating the government. According to Jalaloglu, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the political relations and other problems can be subject of the dialogue. 

The right-central oppositional Open Society Party (PSP) was founded in April 2007. The chairman of the party is the former speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Rasul Guliyev, who is in emigration at present. Rasul Guliyev, DPA chairman until February 2007 and his supporters broke away from DPA as a protest and founded their own Open Society Party.

The deputy executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Siyavush Novruzov said to Trend that at present there is no ground for a dialogue with the opposition. "The presidential elections will be held soon. Can there be any dialogue during the elections?" Novruzov said and added that the opposition wants to hold a dialogue on the Election Code and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Bill on Supplements and Changes into the Election Code has already been passed. "Therefore, there is no need for a dialogue. As to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, let them make their proposals. In 2002, discussions were held in the parliament on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the opposition was also invited to these discussions and they were provided with opportunities to make their initiatives. On the other hand, opinion of Azerbaijani people and political forces on Nagorno-Karabakh is the same," Novruzov said.

NAP was established by the chairman of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan Heydar Aliyev in 1992. The current President Ilham Aliyev is the chairman of the Party, which has been ruling for already 14 years.

The correspondent can be contacted at - [email protected]

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