Azeri pro-government parties demand closure of opposition party

Turan news agency
7 Aug 05

BAKU

The People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party [PFAP] must be closed due to
funding from foreign sources, this was the keynote of speeches made by
MPs from pro-government parties at the headquarters of the New
Azerbaijan Party today.

“Our fears that a number of opposition parties are funded by foreign
sources have been confirmed. After the broadcasting of the video
report in which Ali Karimli’s close associate received handouts from
the Armenian special services, this became indisputable,” the
executive secretary of the ruling party, Ali Ahmadov, said.

He described as dangerous the fact that the opposition is being
financed by certain circles of foreign states because in return, they
want them to be involved in activities against the state. He said that
this probably happened in the past as well, otherwise, where do
opposition parties get “luxurious offices, cars and telephones” from,
Ahmadov said.

The deputy speaker of parliament, Ziyafat Asgarov, was franker. He
called the leader of the PFAP, Ali Karimli, “the main organizer of the
crime”. “The PFAP’s ideology is the overthrow of constitutional order
in Azerbaijan. For this reason, this party must be closed. And there
is no need to pay heed to international reaction,” Asgarov said with
courage.

MP Eldar Ibrahimli urged the law-enforcement agencies to take measures
against the “traitors of the fatherland”. He even regretted that the
death penalty has been abolished in Azerbaijan.

The meeting also proposed holding nationwide discussions in order to
publicly censure the actions of Basirli and Karimli. It was also
suggested that this issue should be put on the agenda of the
parliament’s autumn session.

The meeting also noted that foreign countries, including the USA,
cannot interfere in Azerbaijan’s affairs under the guise of democracy.