Election Debates in "Musavat": Send Authorities to the Rubbish Heap

The “Pre-election situation and aggression authorities” discussions took place on Wednesday in the "Musavat" office. Participants focused the motorcade attack of the"Musavat" leader on 13 January in Lankaran.

Panelists shared the view that this event shows the mood of the authorities, on how they are planning to hold presidential elections.

 Director of Turan News Agency, Mehman Aliyev, believes that authorities will apply the same method as in 2003, in which police made the attack, but this time it was from a "group of disgruntled citizens", however the handwriting was the same.

With such steps, the authorities want to force the opposition to give up the fight in the election. The incident is a serious violation on the right to expression and assembly freedom of movement, he said.

"In 2003, Ilham Aliyev's coming to power met the interests of the USA, Turkey and Russia.  However, today the situation is quite different. Society is seriously tired of this government, and is a source of tension in society," he said.

Scandal “Gulargeyt”, the conflict with BP, the deaths of soldiers and associated protests, show the  growth of this tension. At the same time, serious tensions remain within government agencies.

Against this background, the PACE session in Strasbourg, shows the increased pressure on Baku by the international organizations.

The leader of "Musavat", Isa Gambar, in turn, said that over 20 years of the Aliyev regime governs the country with repression, corruption and lies. Political repression and political prisoners are the distinctive features of this power. Events on January 19 in the"Bina" shopping center, he called it a "popular uprising."

He reported that on January 27 he will go back to Lankaran at the invitation of local intellectuals and believers. The visit will take place despite the threat to the individuals, he said.

PFPA leader, Ali Kerimli, said that the authorities demonstrate aggressiveness against persons with active citizenship.

The authorities know they do not have the support of the people, and therefore intimidate the population. "The country is ruled by criminals, not politicians, and all the problems are due to it,"  said Kerimli. To get rid of this heavy legacy, it is necessary to unite all political forces in the country, he said.-05C-