Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr S. Ilhamgizi / The chairman of the pro-opposition Azerbaijani Civil Solidarity Party (CSP), MP Sabir Rustamkhanly, sent a note of protest to the head of the OSCE Baku office, Hose Luis Herrera, on 8 June, a source at the CSP has reported.
The note says that the CSP was not invited to the meeting of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and the chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Goran Lenmarker, with political parties and directors of public organizations. Rustamkhanly noted that the principle on which OSCE Baku office rests while establishing relationships with parties was not clear.
"If the OSCE Baku office maintains negotiations with parties represented in the parliament, the CSP represented by 3 MPs should be invited to the meetings. If participation of a party in elections and a special number of votes is required, then the CSP took part in parliamentary elections of 1995, 2000 and 2005, in municipal elections of 1999 and 2004, and in presidential elections of 2003 and the indexes of the party are high. If OSCE pays attention to public influence and the number of electorate of position parties, then the CSP unites 26,000 members in 64 Azerbaijani regions. The party publishes a magazine and is represented in the Central Election Commission," Rustamkhanly informed the OSCE diplomat.
According to Rustamkhanly, among those who were invited to the meeting are the parties that are not represented in the parliament, have not any branches, with the number of members below 100. The parties have not been registered and have not participated in any elections. The OSCE Baku office is trying to provide conditions for development of definite parties corresponding to the requirements of the organizations. The organization is carrying out activities intended to increase of political influence of the parties and hidden corruption, financial, and political orders are involved.
"So, you do not need the persons that are interested in democratic development of Azerbaijan, but those who implement your political orders. The fact corresponds neither to the democratic principles you popularize, nor the ideas of West, human rights, and OSCE principles," Rustamkhanly said.
The chairman of the CSP, national poet of Azerbaijan, Sabir Rustamkhanly occupied the position of Minister for Press and Information in 1991-95. He ran for presidency in 2003.