Extraordinary Congress of Ruling Party of Azerbaijan Being Held in Conditions of "Secrecy"

Baku/05.03.21/Turan: An extraordinary, VII congress of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party opened in Baku today.

According to unofficial data, 200 delegates are taking part in the work of the congress. According to preliminary information, reports for the past period will be heard, and the party's governing structures will be re-elected.

The reasons for convening the extraordinary congress, as well as the very fact of its holding, are not advertised. The reason for holding the extraordinary congress just two years after the VI congress (February 8, 2018) is also not clear.

The first reports about the preparations for the congress appeared 10 days ago. Since then, no one from the office of the ruling party, as well as its members, has confirmed the fact of the forum, as well as its agenda.

It is noteworthy that the majority of the members of the Party's Board (20 people) are dismissed or retired (former ideologist Ali Hasanov, former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov, ex-rector of BSU Abel Maharramov, ex-mayor of Baku Hajibala Abutalibov, former deputy chairman of the party Siyavush Novruzov, former head of the presidential administration department Yufis Gumbatov, former head of AZTV Nizami Khudiyev, former MP Kerim Kerimov, and former MP Arif Rahimzade).

According to unofficial data, all these persons will be removed from the leadership and young cadres will be elected instead.

A serious purge is also expected in the Political Council of the party (84 people), where pensioners and persons who have left office remain.

It should be reminded that the leader of the party is Ilham Aliyev, while the party leader is Mehriban Aliyeva. -02D-