Elections: Azeri opposition party leader promises end to lawlessness

The first deputy chairman of the People's Front of Azerbaijan Party [PFAP], Ali Kerimov, delivered his party's fifth election broadcast speech on Azerbaijani state TV1 at 1700 gmt on 30th October. Before Kerimov's election broadcast speech, video clips of his meetings with voters in different districts were shown. Kerimov's speeches to voters were accompanied by an Azerbaijani song.

The PFAP deputy chairman spoke about his recent meetings in various Azerbaijani districts and obstacles created by government structures. He recalled that two of his supporters were still being held by police and "fabricated criminal proceedings have been instituted against them. I assess this as pressure on our elections campaign".

Kerimov said that he would continue meeting voters in districts and listed his scheduled meetings. Ali Kerimov said that he kept abreast of all the problems across the whole of Azerbaijan and said he was sorry that he was unable to visit Nakhichevan due to a lack of time. The PFAP leader said that he had received lots of complaints from district residents who about the situation relating to land reforms, illegalities and lawlessness. "Everywhere illegalities, everywhere lawlessness. Tens of thousands of railway workers have not been paid their wages for six to nine months. People are complaining everywhere about paying for their Azerbaijani national passport. They do not understand why land certificates are sold to them. There are dozens of examples of lawlessness."

Ali Kerimov said he wanted to dwell upon two issues before dealing with the PFAP manifesto. "I was told that Ilham Aliyev, who leads the New Azerbaijan Party [NAP] proportional representation list, attempted to answer my criticism of the authorities and made a number of accusations against me. One of those accusations was that in 1969 when Heydar Aliyev was appointed to the post of First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Communist Party and allegedly began combating corruption, I was still of kindergarten age. My opinion is that this is a toothless accusation, because if anyone should know, Ilham Aliyev, who is approximately the same age as me, should understand that the fact someone has come of age does not mean that he or she is cleverer than people who are under age. Probably at that time, he was also still at kindergarten."

Ali Kerimov denied Ilham Aliyev's accusations that he had received grants from foreign organizations, adding that he did not see any similarities between grants and corruption. "The Azerbaijani parliament and government also get grants and Ilham Aliyev's answer to my criticism of them is groundless and demonstrates a lack of any argument."

Ali Kerimov also slammed the authorities for creating opportunities for the split wing of the PFAP to hold their congress in one of the grand palaces of the capital. He said that this was done to confuse and perplex the PFAP electorate in the run-up to the parliamentary elections.

The PFAP leader said that the party's manifesto pledges were those of the electorate and they would fight for the implementation of the party's commitments to eliminate in the social sphere. "We shall create new jobs and put a stop to misappropriation of budget funds."

Kerimov appealed to the electorate to take an active part in the elections and choose the best candidates and parties able to resolve the country's urgent problems like unemployment and the Karabakh problem.

Ali Kerimov appealed for support in the elections to change the incumbent regime and existing situation and put an end to lawlessness, tyranny and poverty.

Source: Azerbaijani TV, Channel One, Baku, in Azeri 1700 gmt 30 Oct 00

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Posted October 31, 2000 © Eurasianet
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