Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend S.Ilhamgizi / Akif Shahbazov, the chairman of the Open Society Party (OSP) of Azerbaijan, has stated that his party has refused to participate in the process of establishing a new consultative structure.
The heads of the Azerbaijani Musavat, the Tereggi, the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (SDPA), the Azerbaijan National Independent Party (ANIP) and Eldar Namazov, the independent political scientist held a series of meetings for the establishment of a new opposition alliance. The OSP attended the first meeting.
Shahbazov noted that at present the OSP is preparing to hold the next National Forum of all social political forces due to which the OSP does not attend negotiations held by opposition parties.
"We prefer not participate in the establishment of small opposition blocs, but we are intending to organize a National Forum, where joint discussions are being held. We consider that new unions of opposition will not change the current social-political situation. Therefore the OSP attaches its potential to hold a joint forum with the participation of all political parties," the chairman said.
Shahbazov stressed that due to the second Forum appeals have already been sent to 20 political parties and non-Governmental organizations. A concrete date the Forum will be scheduled after discussions.
The OSP was founded in April 2007. Rasul Guliyev, the former Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, is the head of the party. Guliyev had been the chairman of then Democratic party of Azerbaijan until February of 2007. Protesting against the new political course of the party, which took a new dialogue with Government, supporters of Rasul Guliyev separated from the party and founded their own new Open Society Party.