President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev

Dear Mr. President,

Very soon the people of Azerbaijan will celebrate Novruz Holiday. The  greatness of this holiday is  not only its historical strength that reminds our nation the gains of the past, but also a powerful inextinguishable flame that gave our people the strength to survive, to preserve  identity, and become free in the difficult years of the 20th century.

Today we are undergoing another test. You repeatedly pointed out the dangerous and tragic events, which covered the regions near the borders of Azerbaijan. You  say that the country manages to maintain stability thanks to the unity of the people. Today this unity, participation, empathy  are of greater  demand, more than ever under today's challenges, which require the improvement of  the system of government control, reforms in various areas, creating conditions for the  comprehensive  use of the potential of each citizen - employee, businessman, social activist, and politician.

Your recent statements and decrees signify the  beginning of a new stage of development of the country,  the main  tasks of which is further disclosure of the potential of each citizen, freedom of the individual, the rule of law, respect for human rights. We all understand that the further development of the country will require the participation of all who care about the fate of the country, regardless of the fact  whether they are in power, in opposition, or  are the third - social side. The main requirement of the moment is  the demand for  everyone who is willing to contribute to the development of the country during  a new transitional historical period.

Mr.President, you are well aware of strong potential that has the Azerbaijani people, and  now more than ever it needs its implementation. This is the  demand of our time, and  this is testified by the challenges  that the state and society has faced. You pointed out the objective and subjective causes of the problems in the economy, social and other spheres. No one is insured from the objective negative processes and  subjective errors, whether it is the head of state, or an ordinary citizen. In this contradiction lie the essence and movement, development, transition, and eminency.  In the "years of test", as you characterized a new stage of development of the country, Novrus Holiday  opens the possibility to all people to pass the test with honor and dignity.

One of the main attributes of Novruz is the fire, the flame which cleanses us from illnesses – physical and  social. We all want to jump over the festive sacred bonfire to  be cleansed from  physical and  moral ailments. You also do it, and once again you will pass through the purifying fire to enter the new year without the burden of the past, to validate the victory of Good over Evil. According to the patriarchal beliefs of the Azerbaijani people, the victory of Good over Evil  signifies  the tradition of reconciliation  of all quarreled.  Today the term quarrel means the  disunity in  society based on the contradiction of views, sometimes abrupt, seemingly irreconcilable, but it can be overcome, as evidenced by the many examples of the difficult but glorious history of the nation. To overcome  disunity , and  its transformation  to  solidarity  for the construction of a just state and  consensus society we  call on you, Mr. President, to take advantage of all the wealth and strength of Novruz, to  overcome the threshold of  controversial past, but it was our past, and open opportunities for a decent future for every citizen of Azerbaijan.

The Committee to Protect Civil Society