Insults of Jamil Hasanli on TV Debates Continue

On the regular public television debate September 24, presidential candidates attacked the nominee of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) Jamil Gasanli .

Previously, Gasanli was accused of granting his daughter's marriage to "an Christian Englishman," now the head of the party " Modern Musavat", Hafiz Hajiyev has gone a step further, calling the candidate, "son-in-law of the Armenians." He called the National Council and its leader Armenian accomplices.

The chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Araz Alizadeh, devoted his entire 

6-minute speech to criticizing Gasanli and other leaders of the opposition. 

Alizadeh admitted that after the article against him in the newspaper "Yeni Musavat", he decided to express his hatred of the opposition on air.  He attacked Jamil Gasanli and the leader of Musavat, Isa Gambar, accusing them of incompetence, corruption, libel, lies, and lack of a platform,.

Alizadeh warned of the danger if Gambar returns to power, putting the blame on Gambar’s written response to the anti-Turkic book “Hearth” by Zori Balayan .

Alizadeh deliberately did not call Gasanli by name, but rather calling him "this" in a humiliating way.

Plenipotentiary Representative of President Ilham Aliyev, Mubariz Gurbanly focused on the successful development of Azerbaijan under the leadership of the current president. He cited the GDP’s 10 years of growth by 3.4 times as indication.

Rejecting criticism on the issuance of "enslaving" credits to the population, Gurbanly said that small businesses were given preferential loans of 1 billion 200 million AZN.

He also stated the high allocations for the development of health and education.

However, in response, the head of the party Umid, Iqbal Aghazadeh said that what kind of quality education and health care can there be if the average salary of doctors is 150 manats (about $ 190 ), and if teachers earn 167 manats (about $ 210 ), and the State Students Admission Commission annually sees a decrease in passing grades in high school.

As for loans, the central bank provides them to commercial banks controlled by oligarchic groups at 3 percent, giving them to people at 27-30 per cent interest. Bank debts have reached 700 million AZN.

According to Aghazadeh, all statements about the country’s development are false, and a glossy facade hides the bitter reality.

Representing the head of the Justice Party, Ilyas Ismailov, deputy chairman of the Islamic Party, Akif Heydarli (the Justice Party, the Islamic Party and the Green Party are joined in the block "Motherland"), focused on the violation of the rights of believers, unfair prosecution of the Islamists, and illegal banning of the hijab in schools.

The leader of the National Revival Movement Faraj Guliyev spoke of the need for protection of agricultural producers and importers from monopolies. He spent half the performance on the criticism of the National Council, likening it to the Bolshevik Soviets.

The leader of the Democratic Party, Sardar Jalaloglu, urged the authorities not to resort to political revenge. He condemned the arrest of the son of the Popular Front Party head Ali Kerimli , and before that the arrest of Isa Gambar’s son.

Jalaloglu recalled 10 years ago when he was arrested by armed men, a machine gun was placed to the head of his daughter, who at the time was a 6th grade student.

 "Revenge on children for their fathers is immoral. Even the bloody dictator Stalin said that "children are not responsible for their fathers," reminded Jalaloghlu .

The leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Gudret Gasanguliev, focused on the criticism of Jamil Gasanli. He again put him guilty for positive quotes in his books about Heydar Aliyev, as well as the fact that he did not mind the constitutional amendment in parliament to allow President Ilham Aliyev to run for a third term.

Jamil Gasanli also urged the authorities to stop persecuting children of the opposition. He recalled that recently the son of Ali Kerimli was arrested and the 16 -year-old son of the press secretary of the National Council, Oktay Gyulalyev, was brutally beaten and wounded.

Gasanli again urged Aliyev himself to come to the debate and to account for the failure to liberate occupied lands, and to follow through on promised reforms.

In response, Mubariz Gurbanly and Zahid Oruj accused Gasanli that the forces supporting him lost strategic military positions in 1992-93 and now Azerbaijan has to solve difficult problems of strengthening its economic and military power.

Gasanli responded by saying Aliyev’s corrupt regime cannot solve the problem of liberating lands, because the wealth of the country is exported abroad.

"Ilham Aliyev takes gold mines in Gadabay, and prior to the election; salaries have only increased by 10AZN. And that the bread money people with disabilities (IDP) was only raised by 1.5 manats," said Gasanli.

Gasanli recalled that 10 years ago Aliyev said that he would be the president of all Azerbaijanis, but has now he divides people into national and anti-national forces.

Gasanli also commented on the repression against the people’s best sons.

Finally, Gasanli said that while this despotic regime is in power, there would not be justice and development in Azerbaijan. -06D-