PPFA calls on Azerbaijani authorities not to adopt new law on political parties

Baku/12.12.22/Turan: The Azerbaijani authorities want to adopt a new law on political parties that would put the multi-party political system and real alternative forces outside the legal framework and actually destroy them. This is said in a statement by the Party of People's Front of Azerbaijan (PPFA).

The new bill, which was hastily enacted by the Parliament in two readings, will allow the authorities to further restrict the activities of political forces, tightly control them, strengthen pressures on opposition activists and members of their families, arbitrarily cancel the registration of existing structures and prevent the creation of new ones.

The draft law provides for increasing the number of party members from 1,000 to 5,000 and such a proposal was assessed negatively by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe back in 2011.

"Therefore, the reintroduction of the requirement of 5,000 members in the bill and the addition of a provision to deregister parties with less than 4,500 members is a restriction on the right of citizens to participate in the political life of countries, which runs counter to international standards, democratic principles, political pluralism," the statement further said.

Also, the PPFA criticised the norm of the party register to include data on all members of the organisations. "In considering the practice of constant pressures and police surveillance of opposition members, the authorities are thus given ample opportunity to harass activists through law enforcement agencies with their personal details," the PPFA statement further said.

Articles 3.3 and 4.7 of the bill prohibit unregistered parties from engaging in political activities.  This provision makes it possible to prevent the establishment and formation of new political parties that might compete with the incumbent government, contrary to the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Azerbaijani Constitution.

Article 12.3.3 makes the participation of political parties in elections compulsory, which deprives them of the right to boycott, and violates the right to freedom of choice.

"For these reasons, the submitted draft law has a reactionary content and aims to restrict the activities of political parties, especially the real opposition, and results in the de facto elimination of political pluralism.

All things considered, the PPFA calls on the authorities not to adopt this Law on Political Parties and to send the draft law to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for expertise and take into consideration its recommendations," the statement further noted.

The PPFA calls on the international community not to remain indifferent to the removal of the real opposition from the legal field of Azerbaijan.

Also, the PPFA calls on the people of Azerbaijan to protest against the government's wish to adopt this anti-democratic law. -06В-