No One Officially Announced Withdrawal from NCDF

The National Council of the democratic forces is far from the split, according to the Azerbaijani opposition.

Head of the Commission for Public Relations of the opposition National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) of Azerbaijan, director of the news agency Turan Mehman Aliyev denied the news circulated in the media about the exit of some members of NCDF from its ranks.

"The fact is that if someone leaves the National Council, he should make a statement about it. This kind of applications has not been received," said M. Aliyev.

At the end of the NCDF meeting held on Monday a number of media disseminated information about withdrawal from the National Council of some representatives of the Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, the Open Society Party, the Liberal Party of Azerbaijan and the movement EL.

M. Aliyev noted that at the meeting held on Monday NCDF discussed a number of organizational issues, including those relating to the situation around the head of the National Council Rustam Ibragimbekov.

"The agenda of the meeting was the question of how to be in the current situation round Ibragimbekov, related to technical problems on the registration of his candidacy at the Central Election Commission in the light of his dual citizenship. The second question was about what to do next - go to the polls or to refuse to participate in them in connection with the existing differences of opinion," said Aliyev.

According to him, after the meeting, it was decided on three main issues.

"The meeting voted that Ibragimbekov should remain the only candidate from the National Council, which will continue to support his candidacy. It was also agreed on the need to put forward a single candidate from the reserve of the National Council. In this case, the proposal did not receive support for nomination of members of the National Council as candidates from NCDF parties," said the head of the NCDF commission.

According to the functionary of the opposition group, the third question was bearing temporary character.

"At the previous meeting, Isa Gambar (the leader of the party Musavat) said that he would wait until August 19, so it was expected that by 19 August CEC will respond to the appeal of the initiative group for Ibragimbekov. But we know that the documents were not accepted and the question has remained hung. Then Isa Gambar said that if up to 19 August there is no solution, he will be nominated by the party Musavat, which has taken the decision on the matter. And so this time, the topic was discussed, and Gambar compromised. That is, he still postponed his nomination deadline. And the compromise was that all should come to the decision to nominate alternate candidates from the National Council," said Aliyev.

He noted that the time of submission of the signature lists to the CEC ends on September 9, but in the party Musavat they stated that they will be able to collect enough signatures for 5-6 days, if it will go specifically on the name of the party leader Isa Gambar.

"There will be a time trouble situation, but this time a compromise was designated. But if by the end of August Ibragimbekov receives a legal basis for the registration of his candidacy, the replacement candidate will refuse to participate in the elections," said Aliyev.   -0-