Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 23 / Trend T. Hajiyev /
Refusing one's mandate is not a step forward, Justice Party Chairman Ilyas Ismailov said while expressing his attitude toward a recent statement made by his colleague Elkhan Shukurlu.
"I do not support a maximalist approach to life. I do not intend to refuse from my mandate only because we were not allowed into the CEC. The Great Establishment Party was not represented in the CEC in parliament," he said.
Shukurlu, who was not included in the list of the members of the newly formed CEC, issued a statement that Ismailov must fight to the end for his party to join the CEC.
"If I were Ismailov, I would refuse my mandate, and I would defend my deputies to the end," he said.
The new staff of the CEC was approved at a meeting of parliament on Feb. 22.
According to the results, roughly 18 CEC members were approved including: Mazahir Panakhov, Shaitdin Aliyev, Fuad Javadov, Ramiz Ibrahimov, Valida Kazimova and Gabil Orujov (candidates from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party), Mikail Rahimli (Party of the United Popular Front of Azerbaijan), Almas Gahramanli (Civil Solidarity Party), Akif Gurbanov (Umid Party), Tamam Jafarli (Party of Democratic Reforms), Bahsheish Askerov (Great Establishment Party), Etibar Guliyev (Ana Vatan Party), Natig Mammadov, Azer Tagiev, Arifa Mukhtarova, Ilham Mammadov, Nizami Nadirov and Tofig Hasanov (non-party candidates to the CEC).