Press Review 11/20/2015

Official newspapers continue to comment on the statement by Ilham Aliyev at the UNESCO conference and publish a list of changes in a large number of legislative acts.

For the independent and opposition press the main theme is the scandal surrounding the MNS, corruption in the higher echelons of power and confrontation of pro-government groups.

Azadlig

Experts comment on the collapse of the communication system of the country in connection with the blocking of the Internet in a fire at the company monopolist Delta Telecom. The newspaper claims that the agency is under the supervision of the Chief of the State Security Service Beylar Eyyubov. It is he who directs the actions against high-ranking officials of the National Security Ministry, so the fire could be retaliation, says the columnist.

The paper also argues that the Ministry of National Security detention center, which contains the ex-colonel of the Interior Ministry and the leader of an organized criminal gang Haji Mammadov condemned to life imprisonment, once organized his meeting with the head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan Jahangir Hajiyev.

At this meeting, Haji Mammadov gave important compromising information about the officials, which was then used by the head of the Ministry of National Security Eldar Mahmudov (legal relative of the IBA head) to fight with his opponents in the leadership of the country and to recruit informants.

The protest of employees of the road building firm Azerinshaat continues. They have not been paid for several months.

Azerbaijan increases sharply imports, while exports fall sharply, indicating a serious deterioration of the economy.

The economist Gubad Ibadoglu said that in H1 the country exported 4.5 billion dollars. The reason is the flight of small and medium enterprises from the country because of the deteriorating economic environment.

Bizim Yol

Azeristiliktechizat State Company cannot report on the 76 million AZN allocated for 5 years on the job to ensure the heating of residential homes. At the same time, the firms, which have been transferred the funds, did not fulfill the task and heat was not supplied to the houses.

MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev called for the privatization of large state companies including SOCAR and AZAL.

Yeni Musavat

The wife of First Deputy Chairman of the National Security Ministry Hilal Asadov has denied reports of his resignation.

The newspaper claims that the Russian security services have recorded a telephone conversation between the ex-speaker Rasul Guliyev and the Commander of the Border Guard Troops Elchin Guliyev.

Express

As of December 31 Azerbaijan will cease analog TV broadcasts.

The paper also argues that there is a shortage of cash manat.