Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 August / Trend corr. E.Babayev / According to the chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), the refusal of some parties to participate in the presidential elections, will lead to weakening of the opposition camp. "Non-alignment to the elections may lead to loss of opposition camp," Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, te chairman of the Supreme Council of PFPA, told Trend .
Azerbaijan will host the presidential elections on 15 October. Two opposition parties (Popular Front and Citizen and Development) and one movement (National Unity), which are represented in the Azadlig bloc, as well as the Classical Popular Front Party made a decision to boycott the elections. Musavat, Citizen Solidarity, Democratic and Great Establishment parties refused from participation in the elections with their own candidates.
So far eleven people have appealed to the Central Election Commission (CEC) with regard to participate in the forthcoming presidential elections. NAP has nominated the candidature of the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, Umid party - chairman Igbal Agazade, Modern Musavat party - chairman Hafiz Haciyev, Popular Front Party of Unified Azerbaijan - chairman Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Liberal and Democratic Party - chairman Fuad Aliyev, Green Party of Azerbaijan - chairman Mais Gulaliyev, as well as Yashar Ahmadov - jobless, Alimukhtar Akparov -pensioner, Sevinc Guliyeva - hospital attendant in the Central Clinical Hospital in Sumgayit, Vugar Seidov -physician and Gudrat Isagov - leading science employee in the Physics Institute under the National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan (NASA).
Alibayli believes that the decision by most opposition parties not to participate in the elections will not affect the election process. "The election process has already started. I do not see any significance of participation or non-participation of opposition in the elections. The decision taken by opposition will not affect the results of elections. However, the refusal of some opposition parties may have a negative affect to prepare to the next elections. Naturally, the non -participation of opposition in the elections will have negative affect the preparation process to the parliamentary elections in 2010. Every election is considered as preparation stage to the next election. Non-participation of the opposition in the elections will be accompanied by emerging of new parties. However, I oppose the idea about emerge of new parties. In actual, the forces, which act under the new opposition name, are the old politics. These persons establish new parties and try to stand as a new one. On the other hand, anyone can nominate his candidature to the presidential position or establish a new party at the current pre-election situation in the country," Alibayli said.
Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan is the member and co-founder of the Azadlig bloc. Ex-President Abulfaz Elchibay was the founder and chairman of the party until 2000. Since 2000, former MP Ali Karimli has been the chairman of the party.
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