Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9
By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:
The resolution on the situation in Eastern Europe authored by Swedish MP Christian Holm Barenfeld was rejected at a meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk, Belarus without voting, Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Bahar Muradova told Trend July 9.
Muradova, who is also the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA, said that although the name of the draft resolution was about the situation in Eastern Europe, it did not correspond to its essence.
"When the draft resolution was put for discussion and during the work with the author, we tried to bring to the author’s attention that although the name of the draft resolution concerns the situation in Eastern Europe, it does not correspond to its essence,” she said. “That is, the draft resolution does not cover Eastern Europe as a whole. The draft resolution provides information on three countries, namely, Russia, Azerbaijan and Belarus.”
“It should be taken into account that Azerbaijan was mentioned only in the beginning and at the end of the draft resolution,” she said. “Azerbaijan does not belong to this region at all. If the issue is Eastern Europe, the situation in all countries of Eastern Europe should have been reflected. First of all, this moment was brought to the Swedish MP’s attention during discussions and personal conversations and it was stressed that it is wrong."
Muradova added that the members of the majority of delegations informed the author that the resolution is one-sided, unprofessional, biased and the name of the draft resolution does not correspond to its essence.
"Although the author continued to insist on his own opinion, none of his initiatives was supported," she said. “When discussing this issue in the Human Rights Committee, the resolution was also criticized."
She said that the resolution was put to the vote three times and it was declared biased.
Muradova added that according to the OSCE PA procedure, at the plenary session all documents are put to the vote in the form of a general declaration, in this case as the Minsk Declaration.
“According to the procedure, it is possible to demand to put some part of the declaration to the vote again,” she said.
“This requirement was put forward, the draft resolution was put to the vote entirely, that is, as the "Resolution on the situation in Eastern Europe",” she said.
Muradova added that the resolution did not pass as a result of 43 votes in favor and against, 18 abstentions.
"According to the procedure, two-thirds of the votes were required,” she said. “As the required number of votes was not collected, the resolution was completely rejected. That is, there are no documents on the situation in Eastern Europe in the text of the Minsk Declaration."
The deterioration of democratic development, the continuing and growing violations of human rights, the plight of political opposition, civil society, journalists and other defenders of freedom in Russia, Belarus and Azerbaijan were reflected in the draft resolution on the situation in Eastern Europe.