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Azerbaijani Instructs Heads of Executive Powers in Connection with Elections: Top State Official

Politics Materials 5 August 2008 19:39 (UTC +04:00)
Azerbaijani Instructs Heads of Executive Powers in Connection with Elections: Top State Official

Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 August / Trend , corr E.Babayev / On 5 August Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev presided over a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, dedicated to results of socio-economic development of the country over the first six months of 2008 and upcoming tasks. After the meeting Ali Hasnaov, the head of the public and political department of the President's Executive Administration, gave an interview to Trend about the issues discussed at the gathering.

Question: What issues were mainly discussed at today's meeting presided by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev?

Answer: The meeting mulled over the results of socio-economic development of the country over the first six months of 2008 and analyzed the upcoming tasks. It was stated that over the first half-year of 2008 growth rate of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comprised 16.5%, with approximately 14% fallen on industrial production and 10% agriculture products. In this period inflation ratio was 20% and popular income increased by 32%. The capital investment in the national economy constituted roughly $4.4bln, including $3.1bln in domestic investments. The growth of private sector comprised 84% of the GDP and it was appreciated by the President as an indicator of the ongoing dynamic development of Azerbaijan. The President also spoke about the forthcoming tasks and priority tasks for the next six months were defined. First of all, the President instructed to continue the actions to prevent the inflation. Though one knows about objective and subjective reasons causing inflation, it is necessary to take serious measures to protect the population and state from the negative impact of inflation. Although popular income is higher than inflation, we are still concerned on inflation and efficient work should be done to prevent inflation. The President also instructed to increase minimum pension and wages and soon they will be increased. It was reiterated that the program on development of regions, infrastructure and social projects, gasification of districts, water supply, construction of schools and hospitals will be continued.

Furthermore, the migration policy of Azerbaijan should be strengthened. Serious work should be done for residence and activities of foreigners, who have migrated to Azerbaijan for job over the past few years. The President touched upon issues of security. One knows, the energy security of Azerbaijan has been ensured. Issues of export and sale of Azerbaijani energy resources to foreign markets, as well as other relevant issues have been solved. Transport security has also been ensured. The commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and other projects ensure transport security of Azerbaijan. However, the information, food and ecological security of Azerbaijan is still to be solved and the President set serious tasks in this connection. For instance, with respect to food security it is necessary to continue investment programs directed at the development of agriculture and important work should be done to develop agriculture. Afterwards, foreign and domestic investment policy of the country should be intensified. The President instructed the relevant institutions on the directions of both internal and external policy of Azerbaijan, spheres for investing, management of investments, income to be given to the Government and the ways to build policy of internal encouragement, to define and study terms of capital investing in friendly countries to Azerbaijan, to put forward proposals on the fields to encourage capital investing within Azerbaijan and the state participation in this sphere. At the same time the head of state commissioned to establish and strengthen the financial order. Issues of financial distribution, use of funds at state organizations and institutions and strengthening of control on condition of growth of budget were also put forward.

Question:  Were the upcoming presidential elections discussed at the meeting?

Answer: At the end of the meeting the President appealed to all local executive powers. The President stated the elections campaign was launched and his candidature was nominated for the next time. So, the President's pictures and portraits hang in different regions should be taken out. Mr. Aliyev explained it with the necessity of ensuring equal propaganda of all candidates during the elections campaign. On the other hand, the President said he was against the policy of portraits, as prefers to stick in minds and hearts for his services. The head of state instructed the Baku City Executive Power and relevant local executive powers to take out his portraits from public places.

Question: Were there other instructions by the President in connection with the elections?

Answer: The President said that he gave definite instructions to all state institutions in connection with the upcoming presidential elections. The elections legislation must be observed seriously and elections should be transparent, fair and equal. The candidates should be provided with equal conditions. There should be every facility for conduct of meetings and propaganda. The President stated that Azerbaijani Government invited foreign observers to monitor the elections at every polling station and estimate the elections. We are for fully democratic and fair elections and will mobilize every facility to achieve it.

Question: The Government is developing a next state program on development of regions in the period from 2008 to 2013. Were there any discussions in this respect at the meeting?

Answer: Indeed, the President spoke about this program, stressing that the program on development of regions must be continued. These programs are almost complete for the past five years. However, it cannot satisfy us and we have designed programs for subsequent five years. These programs will be adopted this year. Furthermore, a special program on food security is under development. The President also spoke about the adoption of this program. Another state program is developed with respect to the Government's domestic and foreign investment policy. In case of his election as the President Ilham Aliyev will implement programs concerning the socio-economic development of regions over the subsequent five years.

Question: There is an idea in Azerbaijan that rapid pace of development is not adequate to the living standards of definite strata of people in the country. Is there any proposal to strengthen policy on social protection of population? 

Answer: The meeting particularly focused on this issue. Mr. President noted in his speech that the inflation affects people whose income sources are salaries and pensions. Along with struggling with inflation, definite work will be done to increase minimum pension and salaries up to subsistence wage. At present roughly 467,000 people receive social allowance and it covers almost 100,000 families. Expansion of social aid, improvement of work in this respect, strengthening of state policy and other relevant steps set a task to reduce the poverty ratio from existing 16%.

The correspondent can be contacted at [email protected]

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