For the candidate of the ruling party "Yeni Azerbaijan" there is no alternative in the country or abroad. In an interview with the Voice of America this was said by the deputy executive secretary of the ruling party, Siyavush Novruzov.
According to him, Ilham Aliyev is supported both by the population and the 600,000 members of the party New Azerbaijan. "At the insistence of the people the Congress of the Party has nominated his candidacy," Novruzov said.
"As for the candidacy of Rustam Ibragimbekov, I have repeatedly said that this is the most acceptable candidate for us, because Ibrahimbekov has not been involved in politics for a single hour. He is the author of several films, and in this his work is completed. This is a man who has never been close to the people of Azerbaijan in decisive, fateful and difficult moments of its history," said Novruzov.
Asked about the possibility of the arrest of Rustam Ibrahimbekov after his return to Azerbaijan, Novruzov said he did not consider it a serious person.
According to the Electoral Code, on the Wednesday of the third week of October elections will be held in Azerbaijan. (Novruzov forgot that on April 30, Parliament amended the EC, according to which, if the elections coincide with a holiday, in this case, Kurban Bayram (Holy Sacrifice Day), the vote is postponed to another day.)
There is less than 70 days before the election. After 10 days there will be an official start of the election, reminds Novruzov. Up until today, Ibrahimbekov has announced his arrival four times, but has not come.
On the other hand, Ibrahimbekov is not an official candidate. The statement of one or two people from the National Council is not a basis for this. In accordance with Articles 53 and 54 of the Electoral Code, a candidate is put forward on his own initiative on behalf of the initiative group or nominated by political parties or a bloc of them.
The National Council is a non-registered NGO. According to the legislation of Azerbaijan, NGOs or community organizations cannot nominate anyone at any election.
Article 100 of the Constitution stipulates the conditions for nomination of a candidate.
A person wishing to become a candidate should not have dual nationality, must not have obligations to other countries and must for ten years to live permanently in Azerbaijan. Ibrahimbekov does not meet any of these requirements. It is unknown whether Ibrahimbekov has addressed the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation in connection with his citizenship, Novruzov said. Even if he appeals to the commission, there are procedures that take time.
Being a citizen of Russia, Ibrahimbekov automatically has an obligation to this country. In that case, Ibrahimbekov should get a reference from 25 organizations in Russia that he does not have obligations to them. We are talking about the security, the internal affairs and the courts. It is possible that he has a commitment in the courts, and maybe obligations on tax evasion.
In addition, Ibrahimbekov over the last year has not lived in Azerbaijan even one month, which is also inconsistent with the requirements of the Constitution, said Novruzov.
He further said that in Azerbaijan the filmmaker could be prosecuted for tax evasion. "I do not presume to say to what extent Ibrahimbekov is responsible, as it is the work of law enforcement agencies," he said.
When asked how he assessed the current Azerbaijani-Russian relations against the backdrop of elections, Novruzov said that since Heydar Aliyev came to power, Azerbaijan has been pursuing a balanced foreign policy. The Presidents of Russia and Iran, and other countries have repeatedly been in Azerbaijan. The forthcoming visit of the Russian President has nothing to do with the elections, said Novruzov.
On the question of changing the status of the OSCE Office in Baku on the eve of the presidential election, Novruzov said he does not think it's a step backwards in the integration with the West. Azerbaijan participates in the biggest projects in Europe and actively integrates into the Euro-Atlantic area and NATO.
Azerbaijan participates in more than 600 military, public and social programs of NATO; these programs involve over 300 Azerbaijani soldiers. The military system of Azerbaijan since 2007 has moved to the NATO standard. Azerbaijan actively cooperates and builds relationships with CE, European Parliament and other international bodies, said Novruzov. -0304V-
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