To continue the struggle against the evil
Caviar and oil money seemed not to have been able to stop critics. The EU, US and OSCE ODIHR named the 9 October Presidential elections in Azerbaijan falsified and illegitimate and this generated such a confusion in the incumbent regime that they can't hide the hysterics. The Azerbaijan authorities started talking to the West with Bashar Assad lexicon. They accused the Europe, the West, on the whole on the attempt to create provocation and unrest in Azerbaijan.
However, they ignored the European Parliament resolution to defend the Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. The latest motion of the European Parliament stated the election falsification, therefore “recalls its position that the occupation by one country of the Eastern Partnership of the territory of another violates the fundamental principles and objectives of the Eastern Partnership and that the conclusion of the EU Association Agreements with Armenia and Azerbaijan should be linked to progress towards the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of 1993 and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Basic Principles, enshrined in the L’Aquila joint statement of 10 July 2009” (this is also the official position of both opposition and the ruling party). But the incumbent regime falsified the EP motion as well, defiantly stating the EU has been forcing Azerbaijan for 23 years to disclaim from the occupied lands.
Besides, EU is blackmailed to cease the ties with European structures.
One piece from the EP motion that so irritated the Azerbaijan authorities: “Regrets that an unclear vision and hesitation persist on the issue of Azerbaijan’s pursuit of the Association Agreements; stresses the economic potential of EU-Azerbaijan relations, but is concerned by deficiencies in the fields of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Azerbaijan; insists therefore that Azerbaijan show its commitment by stepping up its relevant standards, including freedom of speech and association and allowing the democratic opposition to enjoy their rights; insists that the release of political prisoners and an end to the harassment of political activists, human rights defenders and journalists are the necessary preconditions for any agreement on a strategic modernization partnership with Azerbaijan”. So:
1. European Parliament doesn't want either Karabakh or oil and gas (they anyway get energy supplies from Azerbaijan). They, at last started to listen to the oppressed voices of our nation. Now they demand that Azerbaijan authorities not to rig the elections, respect the rights and liberty f its citizens, build a lawful state.
2. The government blackmails the West that should the pressures continue they'd rather form an isolated and anti-West regime as in Belarus. But, the West shouldn't be afraid of this blackmail attempt. Ilham Aliyev won't go to real confrontation with the West and actually he can't do this. He can only create an illusion of imitation. When I say, they won't do this, doesn't mean that the authorities think of national interests and ordinary Azerbaijan citizens who would mostly suffer. But rather unlike Belarus they think of their real estates and bank accounts in the West. They all – starting from the ruling family to oligarchs, local governments' heads, police chiefs and other middle-level autocrats posses real estates and bank accounts in the West. The country economy fully depends on the oil sold to the West. The majority of the population, however has a warm attitude to euro integration.
3. The government, exposed in election fraud also creates a threat to national interests. The fight at all fronts in order to maintain the power, takes us away from the liberation of Karabakh and other occupied lands beyond it. It leads the nation to self-isolation and as a result to social and economic hardships.
4. It is noteworthy to say that this regime was established with the help of the foreign powers. In hard situations the regime received the support of the foreign forces to suppress the nation. Now the world changes. Now the honest people in the West can't afford supporting the authoritarian and corrupt regime. At present, they show solidarity with our suppressed nation. This is, of course, very good. But no way to simmer down. We – Azerbaijan peoples should save the country from this situation. How? Not to count on an easy victory, not to wait any support from anywhere and everyday continue the struggle against the evil.
Ali Kerimli
Head of the PFPA
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