OGTAY ASADOV: "AZERBAIJAN IS HOLDING NEGOTIATIONS ON REPORTS ABOUT RUSSIA’S SELLING WEAPONS TO ARMENIA"

APA
Feb 10 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. Parliamentarians put forward a number
of proposals in today’s sitting of the parliament, APA reports. MP
Fazail Agamali said official language of Azerbaijan was not obeyed
in the central streets of the city.

"Purchase and sale is in Russian in Nizami, Samad Vurgun, Khagani
and other streets. Advertisements in the streets are in Russian. It
should be prevented," he said.

The parliamentarian said Guba mass burial cemetery was decaying. Fazail
Agamali offered the speaker to appeal to president in connection
with it.

"Guba cemetery should be turned to museum," he said.

MP Arzu Samadbayli said price cut was observed in the world due to
the financial crisis, but it did not happen in Azerbaijan. He said
parliamentarians from Musavat had offered to reduce energy carriers.

Speaker Ogtay Asadov said the world financial crisis would not affect
Azerbaijan.

MP Vahid Ahmadov said Russia’s selling weapons to Armenia should be
taken seriously.

"Azerbaijan should react strictly and express its position. Russia
has recently sold over $2 billion weapons to Armenia," he said.

Speaker said the reports that Russia sold weapons to Armenia were
being analyzed, negotiations were being held.

"Necessary decision will be made in the end," he said.

MP Fazil Mustafa said lotteries were shown much on TV channels,
while speeches of parliamentarians were not shown. He said network
games were widely spread in Baku.

"There were such games before. Remember "Munjug"
operation. Law-enforcement should express their opinion on it,"
he said.

MP Ehed Abiyev said the business of the network was mainly spread in
the southern regions of Azerbaijan.

"A group of famous businessmen swindle people of gold,
diamonds. Law-enforcement bodies should take measures about it. Those
engaged in network business should be held accountable. It may cause
anxiety in public on the eve of the referendum," he said.

MP Jamil Hasanli said the 17rg anniversary of Khojaly genocide was
approaching. He offered to discuss the issue in one the sitting of
the parliament and inform the parliament about the investigation of
the criminal case.

"Though we demand others to give legal assessment to it, we do not
yet know what the matter is," he said.

MP Panah Huseyn said the time allotted for the registration of
initiative groups on referendum will expire today, but the opposition
groups have not been registered yet.

He proposed the Parliament to appeal CEC to consider the issue
positively. MP stated that criminal cases launched by Military Court
on Khojaly massacre did not cover names of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh
Sargsyan, who committed terrorist attack in Azerbaijan.

"Why does not the list cover their names? Their names should be in
the list as well," he said.

MP Siyavush Novruzov noted that initiative groups on referendum were
not registered at the request of anybody, this issue was considered
legally.

"Their registration will be considered," he added.

Novruzov mentioned that a criminal case on Khojaly massacre had been
launched and the Parliament could ask reference from Military Court
as it was last year.

MP Elmira Akhundova stated that media did not cover speeches of MPs
objectively. She proposed to open a TV Channel to air speeches of MPs.

Asadov protested the proposal. "Whom can we say to allocate special
Channel for MPs? TV Channels are independent," he said.

Vice-Speaker Bahar Muradova added that the media covered activity of
the Parliament sufficiently.

"The issue can be debated how the media covers it," she added.

Muradova underlined that there was divergence of opinion in opposition
on the referendum. She stressed that a group of them demanded to stop
it and the rest want creation of condition for them to function in
this sphere.

Muradova did not agree to opinions of those, who protested decisions
on dubbing of Turkish films in Azerbaijan and underlined that National
Television and Radio Council passed a correct decision to discontinue
local radio broadcasts of international media as well as it.

The Vice-Speaker added that there was no need for concern about world
economic crisis.

"Azerbaijan is able to prevent itself from the crisis," she said.