P. Hussein: Ilham Aliyev should not run for president a third time

"Public Chamber" is going to conduct a political struggle for democratic conditions for the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan in October 2013. It will be one of the priorities  of the activity of the "Public Chamber" in the new phase of political struggle. This decision was taken last Saturday at the session of "Public Chamber". It is planned to resume  this autumn mass protests demanding the establishment of a democratic atmosphere of  elections  in the country. To form free, fair and democratic elections, the opposition finds it necessary to release political prisoners, to provide freedom of assembly, political pluralism in the media, including television and radio, the reform of the Electoral Code, including changes in the makeup of election commissions. 

"The struggle for the liberation of the "prisoners of conscience "Vidadi Iskenderli, Shahin Hasanli, and all other political prisoners should be more consistent, and the system after the recent death in custody of Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Party, Vagif Abdullaev further increases the concern for the fate of innocent people convicted,"  said the leader of the "Musavat"  party, Isa Gambar. Another important priority for the coming period Gambar called the struggle for democratic elections. Former MP Panah Husein proposed to extend the structuring of "Public Chamber", and create  its branches in the villages, towns, factories, offices, etc. As for the  creation of democratic atmosphere during elections, in his view, if Ilham Aliyev  runs a third time,  there will  not be fair  condition for elections. The opposition should  prevent his  participation in the elections, said Hussein. 

"While there are 70 political prisoners in the country, rallies are  forbidden,  journalists are in  prisons,  election commissions are  under the control of power,  there  cannot be talk about democratic atmosphere. Therefore, these issues should be the priorities of our political activity", said the leader of the Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli. He also noted the importance of consolidating the democratic forces. On the one hand, we must strive to expand the Public Chamber and its local structures,  on the other hand, it is important to find other forms of cooperation with supporters of democratic reforms, not represented in the "Public Chamber". Session entrusted  the Coordinating Board of the "Public Chamber" to identify specific measures for  conducting  meetings and other activities in order to  obtain resolution of the tasks. -06D—