Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 August / Trend corr. E.Babayev / The Azerbaijani ex-speaker publicized his position concerning the presidential elections.
"I have specified my position concerning the presidential elections. I will support the current President Ilham Aliyev's candidature and vote for him in the presidential elections," Yagub Mammadov, ex-speaker, told Trend on 25 August.
The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan on 15 October. So far, 18 people applied to the Central Elections Commission (CEC) to participate in the upcoming presidential elections. The CEC confirmed candidatures of the chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party Ilham Aliyev, the chairman of the Greens Party Mais Gulaliyev, the chairman of the Azerbaijani Unified Popular Front Party Gudrat Hasanguliyev, the chairman of the Muasir Musavat party Hafiz Hajiyev, the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Fuad Aliyev and the chairman of the Umid Party Igbal Agazade, Yashar Ahmadov (an unemployed person), Alimukhtar Akbarov (a pensioner), Sevinj Guliyeva (a junior nurse at the Sumgayit Central Clinic Hospital), Vugar Seyidov (a doctor) and Gudrat Isagov (a senior scientist of the Physics Institute of the Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences), a former chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Supreme Assembly Gulamhuseyn Alibayli, the senior advisor of Madaniyyet newspaper Teymur Guliyev, the editor-in-chief of Ekspertiza newspaper Suleyman Guliyev, chairman of Great Establishment Party, Fazil Gazanfaroglu and independent candidate Fikrat Ahadov (an editor of the scientific and methodological magazine of the Education Ministry), Arif Aliyev (an unemployed person) and Ali Agayevli (the director of the juridical, economic and social research centre).
According to Mammadov, there is nobody but Ilham Aliyev who can lead the country. "Ilham Aliyev is the President for five years and he has an experience. I do not know some presidential contenders at all. I do not want to name anyone, whilst a person, who cannot manage five people, will hardly govern the country. Ilham Aliyev is he most deserving candidate amongst the presidential contenders and I will vote for him," Mammadov said and stated that he believed in Ilham Aliyev's victory.
"With respect to some opposition parties' refusal to join the elections, I doubt whether some political parties will boycott the elections, Mammadov stated. Only voters can boycott the elections." Mammadov said and noted that the time would show efficiency of this step of opposition.
Mammadov was the speaker of the parliament in March 1992. After President Ayaz Mutallibov's removal from his position, he replaced him for a temporary period. Mammadov resigned after the Popular Front Party's coming to power in 1992. He established the opposition Yeni Siyasat bloc (New policy) in 2005 and balloted in the parliamentary elections.
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