ANIP-30. Has the party achieved its goal?

Baku/06.07.22/Turan: The Azerbaijan National Independence Party (ANIP) is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This is  the first  officially registered and officially created political party in the history of independent Azerbaijan.

The party was founded in 1992 by former members of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan and officially registered by the Ministry of Justice on July 17, 1992; it was headed by Etibar Mammadov. ANIP, which used to be  a weighty  once,  does not  show much activity in recent years. Why is the  ANIP so passive now?

Etibar Mammadov, the first chairman of the ANIP, answers this and other questions in the "Difficult Question" program.

According to him,  from the very outset, the goal of the party was to achieve the independence of Azerbaijan and unite national forces for organized opposition to the Armenian aggression.

“After achieving independence, the task was to form the Azerbaijani state, and the questions in what direction it would develop, what would be the guiding principles remained unclear. Since the independence movement united under its banner  people of various beliefs - from the left to the right, it was clear that from that moment they could not remain in one organization. Therefore, there is a need to unite citizens in various political parties,” he said.

Mammadov noted that on October 15, 1991, the establishment of a center-right party was announced, and on July 3-4, 1992, the founding congress of the ANIP was held.

“One of the goals of the party was the struggle for the independence of Azerbaijan, and this goal was achieved. Other goals were: the formation of a multi-party political system in the country, the creation of a national army.

“ANIP was directly involved in the creation and arming of the first battalions of the National Army of Azerbaijan, the international recognition of the Azerbaijani state," he said.

Mammadov also said that parties can strive for power in order to realize their goals. However, in his opinion, the achievement of these goals is possible without coming to power.

“Proposing these goals and accepting them by the authorities is one of the goals. And these goals put forward by the ANIP have long been accepted,” he said, adding that until 2000 the party was represented in the Parliament, where the party's deputies took an active part in the legislative process.

“The party and its members actively participated in all elections to form the traditions of parliamentarism. Although the party did not come to power, it continued to influence the solution of many issues, sometimes even by exerting pressure. Thus, the party managed to achieve the solution of many tasks,” Mammadov said.

He also noted that, unfortunately, the attitude towards parties in the country was and remains very wary.

“Those who are in power are conceived to be hostile to other political organizations, persecute them, put pressure on them, thereby forcing citizens to shun opposition parties. Therefore, the strengthening of parties and their direct participation in the management of society (social process) in many cases becomes impossible,” he stressed. –0—