NEWLY-FUNDED AZERI PARTY SET TO RUN IN 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Turan news agency
17 Jul 07

Baku, 17 July: A new party, called New Time, was founded on 15 July.

Currently documents are being prepared for applying to the Justice
Ministry in order to register the party, its deputy chairman Faiq
Aliyev said at today’s news conference.

The founding congress was to take place on 30 May, but the Baku mayor’s
office refused to provide an accommodation and so the congress was
scheduled for 15 July, Faiq Aliyev said.

Out of the 128 delegates, 117 attended the gathering, he said. They
passed the statute and regulations of the party and adopted its
symbol. They also elected the chairman of the party board.

Musa Agayev, the new party’s chairman, said the party was created
because many national problems remain unresolved and people face
hardships. In his view, following the 2003 presidential election the
country has entered a period of stagnation "of unknown duration". Given
the lack of national ideology, the unresolved Nagornyy Karabakh
problem and rife corruption and bribery, there is a need for this
party, Musa Agayev said.

He also said that the New Time is a right-of-centre party and will
run in the 2008 presidential election.