Which of the political parties were registered and which were forced to self-destruct?

Bakı/07.07.23/Turan: 180 days have passed since President Ilham Aliyev signed the Law "On Political Parties" on July 1. According to the law, parties are required to provide information about 5,000 of their members to the General Directorate of Justice. As a result, more than 20 parties have self-liquidated in Azerbaijan.

Recent days have seen the Liberal Party of Azerbaijan (LPA), the Development Party of Azerbaijan (AYP), the Republican People's Party (CXP), and the Party of Citizens and Development (VIP) join the list of self-dissolved parties. The successive self-liquidation of these parties is surprising, with some parties reportedly learning about their dissolution through media reports. For instance, the 8th Congress of the Liberal Party was held on June 24, but on the same day, certain websites announced the suspension of the party's activities, catching the party leadership off guard. Similarly, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Badraddin Guliyev, stated that he had not considered dissolving the party the day before the announcement was published.

Independent media reports suggest that statements on party dissolution are being prepared in the Presidential Administration and disseminated through pro-government media channels.

Hafiz Hasanov, chairman of the Public Association "Law and Development," discusses these developments in the program "Difficult Question." According to him, even when the Law "On Political Parties" was introduced as a bill, it was evident that it would pose significant challenges to political pluralism and the functioning of political parties.

Hasanov believes that the self-dissolution of parties following the adoption of the law is only the beginning, with more control and scrutiny over party activities anticipated in the future. He suggests that parties may face pressure under the pretext of abusing their rights, and investigations into the activities of party members cannot be ruled out. Hasanov asserts that the government's adoption of this law aims to gradually restrict political activity and exclude people from participating in politics. This, in turn, will lead to a unipolar society where the country's constitution becomes merely a declaration, he warns.