AZERI OPPOSITION URGES PRESIDENT TO CLARIFY DUBAI REAL ESTATE REPORT
Turan News Agency
March 17 2010
Azerbaijan
Baku, 17 March: Representatives of the opposition gathered in the
headquarters of the Musavat Party to discuss the property belonging
to [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev’s family in Dubai worth of
75m dollars.
The participants in the meeting expressed a common view that the
mansions in Dubai were obtained illegally for money stolen from the
people. The opposition representatives demanded that the head of
state give explanations. Otherwise he must resign.
The leader of Musavat, Isa Qambar, said that thousands of families in
Azerbaijan are living in poverty. The obtaining of the multi-million
property confirms that Ilham Aliyev stands on the top of corruption.
Qambar is sure that the revealed mansions is just a drop in the ocean.
"Explanations by officials of the legality of the purchase are
ridiculous and illogical," he said.
Economist Qubad Ibadoglu said that the cost of the Dubai mansions is
50 per cent of pensions paid per year or 90 per cent of spending on
science [in Azerbaijan].
"The head of state violated the election law on the importance
of declaring his income. Ahead of the 2003 and 2008 presidential
elections Ilham Aliyev did not mention his property," he said.
The head of the East-West Centre, Arastun Oruclu, said he did not
agree with the view that the report on the Dubai real estate should
be viewed as pressure on Ilham Aliyev in the [Nagornyy Karabakh] issue.
"This is a corruption problem rather than the Karabakh issue and this
should be explained to public," he said.
The deputy chairman of the People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party,
Fuad Qahramanli, said that Ilham Aliyev’s resignation would be a
reasonable and honest act and urged the opposition to come up with
a single demand.
The discussion was attended by representatives of Musavat, the People’s
Front of Azerbaijan Party, the Classic People’s Front of Azerbaijan
Party, the Azadliq [bloc], opposition MPs, experts and others.