Ali Kerimli: Government Powerless before Crisis

The socio-economic crisis in the country is deepening day by day, and the government is not taking adequate steps. At the same time, the taken measures do not achieve the goal. In fact, the government is demonstrating its impotence, PFPA head Ali Kerimli said in an interview with Turan and the radio station Voice of America.

"The social crisis will grow into a political one, but this process is still inhibited by fear in society. It is for this reason that social discontent does not turn into political action. However, the authorities of Azerbaijan every day lose the ability to influence the situation and the mood of the population," said Kerimli.

Together with the manat devalued the power itself, because people see how helpless the government is, unable to do anything, but violence and crackdown.

Asked whether PFPA has anti-crisis proposals, Kerimli said the proposals were presented by PFPA in late December in the media and social networks.

In them it was about the elimination of corruption and monopolies; monitoring the activities of state-owned companies on the issue of prices for goods and services; assistance to disadvantaged segments of the population; stimulating local production; development priority of agriculture; opening the country for domestic and foreign investment.

"If these measures are implemented in an integrated way, we can lead the country out of crisis, and even put it on the rails of progressive economy," said Kerimli.

What are the steps of PFPA if the crisis escalates further? In answering this question, the party leader said that the task of PFPA is to achieve organization of the population in terms of crisis, preventing the chaos, control of the political crisis within the framework of the illegal actions.

"Therefore, Azerbaijan Popular Front Party and the National Council will do everything not to let the protests go beyond the peaceful struggle," said Kerimli.

In terms of repression the only space of expression of real feelings of people are social networks. It is there that dissatisfaction with the policy of the authorities is expressed and an interest is shown in the proposals of the opposition. People are set to change. That is why the authorities are closely monitoring the social networks, but not in order to draw conclusions, but to identify and prosecute the dissent on trumped up charges.

The discontent of the people is based on the fact that even in the crisis the corrupt oligarchs still try to earn large amounts and no one thinks about ordinary people, said Kerimli.

If the authorities do not start the reform, their end will be disastrous. Therefore, I urge the government to account and immediate beginning of radical reforms," concluded Kerimli. -06D-