Civil society urges Aliyev to defend democracy

Baku/27.05.14/Turan : A group of representatives of civil society appealed to the authorities to protect democratic values.

The appeal, in particular, said that 96 years ago the creators of ADR dreamed that Azerbaijan will become a model country that guarantees freedom and the rule of law. Then the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, distinguished by the level of democracy, not only in the region but also throughout the East. If the country identified any facts of administrative violence or corruption, the highest-ranking officials, the founders of ADR as Fatalikhan Khoyski, retired.

After 23 years since Azerbaijan gained independence, the country, like most former Soviet republics, was able to defend its independence and strengthened. But at the same time could the republic, as 96 years ago, protect and preserve the democratic tradition? 23 years are a sufficient period to revive the political culture as in the developed Western countries. If during this period, Azerbaijan remained committed to the traditions of the ADR and if it could properly dispose the existing resources, without a doubt, the modern Azerbaijan state could be a leader of democratization in the region.

The ongoing processes in the country, on the contrary, have removed from the principles of statehood and democratic traditions created nearly a century ago. Therefore, with concern watching all this, we want to draw your attention to the following trends:

According to the local and international human rights defenders, Azerbaijan by the number of people arrested for political reasons ranks first among the countries of the Eastern Partnership.

According to reports by the International Transparency Organization and the 2013 Corruption Perception Index, Azerbaijan received 28 points and is No 127 out of 177 countries.

Despite the fact that in recent years steps have been taken against corruption, this struggle is not against the high-level political and economic corruption. The consequence of this corruption is the lowest wage in the country, which results in the fact that working people cannot cover their minimum charges.

The Index of European integration shows that Azerbaijan is now on a par with Armenia and Belarus, where the rate of integration into Euro-Atlantic space is extremely low, and this is despite the superiority of Azerbaijan's natural resources and human capital.

Referring to the president, members of the government, MPs , generally to the country's leadership, we call at this historical moment to determine the future course of development of Azerbaijan in favor of European integration.

In the civilized world, the main indicator of the pride of a nation is not geopolitics, energy or income gained from them, but protection of the rights and freedoms of each individual’s well-being, the ability to build an open and democratic society.

Harassment and arrests of political and social activists, journalists and fighters against corruption, pressure on human rights defenders spoil the image of Azerbaijan.

We appeal to all decision-makers in government circles to immediately take the following steps:

- Release those arrested for political reasons;

- Ensure the fundamental rights and freedoms - of expression, assembly and association, and the inviolability of property;

- Start a serious fight against corruption, support free enterprise and eliminate monopoly on domestic and foreign markets;

Waive the requirement of state registration of NGOs, reduce the tax burden and take appropriate laws to European standards;

- Sign the Association Agreement with the EU, accelerate the entry into the WTO and announce plans to join NATO and the EU;

History shows that delaying the implementation of these reforms can turn the people and state to a tragedy, the appeal signed by 32 people reads finally. -04D-