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AZERBAIJAN MUST USE THIS ELECTION TO END THE ALIYEV DYNASTY
When the Azerbaijani people go to the polls this week they can begin
to put 20 years of corruption and brutality behind them
Jamil Hasanli theguardian.com, Tuesday 8 October 2013 13.00 BST
'The very fabric of Azerbaijani society is being eroded, while billions
of dollars in oil revenues are wasted and lost, but mostly stolen by
the Aliyev clan.' Photograph: Ilkin Huseynov/AP
The people of Azerbaijan will go to the polls on 9 October to elect
their president. I am running in this election with the paramount
aim of ending 20 years of the Aliyev dynasty's misrule of my country,
and restoring Azerbaijani democracy.
Since the incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, inherited power from his late father
10 years ago, Azerbaijan has become mired in rampant corruption, and
theruling regime has grown ever more authoritarian and ruthless. Most
importantly, the ongoing conflict with Armenia has still not been
resolved and Azerbaijani territories remain under occupation.
It is time to say enough. The Azerbaijani people deserve better. Our
democratic movement is now united in an unprecedented alliance. The
National Council of Democratic Forces has elected me as its
presidential candidate. It includes opposition parties, civil society
campaigners, members of the intelligentsia and youth activists. We
have put forward a comprehensive and credible programme of political,
constitutional and economic reform.
If elected, I have undertaken to serve for a limited, two-year term
only, to oversee a transition to democracy and the establishment
of the rule of law. Tackling corruption, ending oligarchic control
of the national economy, releasing political prisoners, limiting
presidential powers, strengthening parliament, democratising and
opening up the peace process with Armenia are some of the key measures
we are proposing. Restoring social justice and providing equality of
opportunity for all are our top priorities.
Aliyev has never won a free and fair election and knows he cannot win
this one. Elections and referendums in Azerbaijan have been marked
by widespread electoral fraud and vote-rigging. Having taken control
of all electoral commissions in the country, the Aliyev regime has
now intensified its ongoing crackdown against independent media, the
opposition and civil society, prompting condemnation and statements
of concern from international human rights organisations and the EU.
Recent protests in Azerbaijan's impoverished regions were met with
brutal force.
The oil boom of the past few years has made the Aliyev family and
its cronies extremely wealthy and the regime will do its utmost
to keep power. Aliyev is running for an unprecedented third term,
following the disputed 2009 referendum which removed presidential
term limits. I believe this contravenes the Azerbaijani constitution
and the European convention on human rights. I have launched a legal
challenge and demanded a judicial review. Without a clear, unbiased
and unequivocal constitutional court ruling on this matter, Aliyev's
third-term presidency is not legitimate.
I recognise that Azerbaijani democrats face a formidable challenge in
this election. But it is a challenge we must meet. Because while the
elites prospered, the majority of people benefitted little from the oil
boom. The problem of the disputed Karabakh region remains unresolved
and hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis are unable to return to their
homes. Healthcare and education standards have plummeted. Widespread
corruption and political cronyism stifle the economy, which has
grown totally dependent on oil and gas exports. The very fabric
of Azerbaijani society and state is being eroded, while billions
of dollars in oil revenues are wasted and lost in mismanagement,
but mostly stolen by the Aliyev clan. Despite my official protests,
Ilham Aliyev has still not submitted financial reports on relevant
family members, as required by the Azerbaijani electoral code.
The Aliyev regime has gone to great lengths to improve its
international image in recent years. Yet the reality I describe above
is very different from the polished propaganda spouted by Aliyev's PR
consultants. The international community has an ethical responsibility
to hold the regime to its international commitments. But it is also in
the interest of Azerbaijan's partners that the country is stable and
develops in a democratic and progressive direction. This election
provides an opportunity for a fresh international engagement in
Azerbaijan and a robust election observation process.
Throughout my campaign I have witnessed a growing hunger for change
in Azerbaijan. Voters across the country, young and old, expressed
their hope for a better, freer future. I believe that my candidacy,
backed by a united and organised pro-democracy movement, represents
the best chance for a peaceful transition from oligarchic autocracy
to progressive democracy.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/08/azerbaijan-election-aliyev-dynasty-polls
When the Azerbaijani people go to the polls this week they can begin
to put 20 years of corruption and brutality behind them
Jamil Hasanli theguardian.com, Tuesday 8 October 2013 13.00 BST
'The very fabric of Azerbaijani society is being eroded, while billions
of dollars in oil revenues are wasted and lost, but mostly stolen by
the Aliyev clan.' Photograph: Ilkin Huseynov/AP
The people of Azerbaijan will go to the polls on 9 October to elect
their president. I am running in this election with the paramount
aim of ending 20 years of the Aliyev dynasty's misrule of my country,
and restoring Azerbaijani democracy.
Since the incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, inherited power from his late father
10 years ago, Azerbaijan has become mired in rampant corruption, and
theruling regime has grown ever more authoritarian and ruthless. Most
importantly, the ongoing conflict with Armenia has still not been
resolved and Azerbaijani territories remain under occupation.
It is time to say enough. The Azerbaijani people deserve better. Our
democratic movement is now united in an unprecedented alliance. The
National Council of Democratic Forces has elected me as its
presidential candidate. It includes opposition parties, civil society
campaigners, members of the intelligentsia and youth activists. We
have put forward a comprehensive and credible programme of political,
constitutional and economic reform.
If elected, I have undertaken to serve for a limited, two-year term
only, to oversee a transition to democracy and the establishment
of the rule of law. Tackling corruption, ending oligarchic control
of the national economy, releasing political prisoners, limiting
presidential powers, strengthening parliament, democratising and
opening up the peace process with Armenia are some of the key measures
we are proposing. Restoring social justice and providing equality of
opportunity for all are our top priorities.
Aliyev has never won a free and fair election and knows he cannot win
this one. Elections and referendums in Azerbaijan have been marked
by widespread electoral fraud and vote-rigging. Having taken control
of all electoral commissions in the country, the Aliyev regime has
now intensified its ongoing crackdown against independent media, the
opposition and civil society, prompting condemnation and statements
of concern from international human rights organisations and the EU.
Recent protests in Azerbaijan's impoverished regions were met with
brutal force.
The oil boom of the past few years has made the Aliyev family and
its cronies extremely wealthy and the regime will do its utmost
to keep power. Aliyev is running for an unprecedented third term,
following the disputed 2009 referendum which removed presidential
term limits. I believe this contravenes the Azerbaijani constitution
and the European convention on human rights. I have launched a legal
challenge and demanded a judicial review. Without a clear, unbiased
and unequivocal constitutional court ruling on this matter, Aliyev's
third-term presidency is not legitimate.
I recognise that Azerbaijani democrats face a formidable challenge in
this election. But it is a challenge we must meet. Because while the
elites prospered, the majority of people benefitted little from the oil
boom. The problem of the disputed Karabakh region remains unresolved
and hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis are unable to return to their
homes. Healthcare and education standards have plummeted. Widespread
corruption and political cronyism stifle the economy, which has
grown totally dependent on oil and gas exports. The very fabric
of Azerbaijani society and state is being eroded, while billions
of dollars in oil revenues are wasted and lost in mismanagement,
but mostly stolen by the Aliyev clan. Despite my official protests,
Ilham Aliyev has still not submitted financial reports on relevant
family members, as required by the Azerbaijani electoral code.
The Aliyev regime has gone to great lengths to improve its
international image in recent years. Yet the reality I describe above
is very different from the polished propaganda spouted by Aliyev's PR
consultants. The international community has an ethical responsibility
to hold the regime to its international commitments. But it is also in
the interest of Azerbaijan's partners that the country is stable and
develops in a democratic and progressive direction. This election
provides an opportunity for a fresh international engagement in
Azerbaijan and a robust election observation process.
Throughout my campaign I have witnessed a growing hunger for change
in Azerbaijan. Voters across the country, young and old, expressed
their hope for a better, freer future. I believe that my candidacy,
backed by a united and organised pro-democracy movement, represents
the best chance for a peaceful transition from oligarchic autocracy
to progressive democracy.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/08/azerbaijan-election-aliyev-dynasty-polls