A special attention attached to parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan is related to strategic significance of this country for the USA and Europe, with such comments addressed the former assistant of the US State Secretary on Europe and Euro-Asia Elizabeth Jones from the pages of “The Washington Times” newspaper, Trend reports.
The diplomat stressed, that instead of holding actions of protest in authorized venues of Baku, the Azerbaijan’s opposition stages marches and rallies in downtown of the capital city, provoking the police forces.
According to Jones, the government of Azerbaijan must authorize peaceful actions and marches in the centre of Baku.
She noted, Azerbaijan, located between Russia and Iran at the border of the expanding European Union, stationed its peace-keeping forces on Balkans and in Afghanistan. The country guided by President Ilham Aliyev demonstrates adherence to fighting against global terrorism.
The official Baku cooperates actively with the USA and the European Union on various issues and ratified all 12 UNO agreements on fighting terrorism.
According to Jones, Ilham Aliyev’s efforts aimed at holding open parliamentary elections cause approval by the US officials and a lot of world leaders.
Establishing of the Public TV, by which the candidates are allocated free air time, the increase of registered political parties and NGOs, placing of the electors list at the web-site of the Central Election Committee (CEC), as well as the increase of the number of candidates from 400 in 2000 to 2000 in 2005 are highly assessed.