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Isa Gambar: â€œI drew the portraits of those working for the foreign intelligence agencies, some politicians recognized their portraitsâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

Isa Gambar: â€œI drew the portraits of those working for the foreign intelligence agencies, some politicians recognized their portraitsâ€ â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW </font>

12 February 2010 11:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elnur Mammadli â€“ APA. Musavat Party chairman Isa Gambar gives an interview to APA:

-You delivered speech at the partyâ€™s meeting about the parliamentary elections and now the party is determining its candidates. How many candidates will be nominated and how many places do you claim?

-Nomination of the candidates is a simple, but very important part of the pre-election process. We approach the issue comprehensively. There is an action plan we adopted last year and now we have to elaborate and improve details of our election program. This is a great and comprehensive target and we have ideas about the improvement of legislation. We informed the society and parliament about these ideas and some of them were proposed to the parliament as a draft law. There are issues of creating normal election atmosphere, establishing freedoms of speech and press, as well as freedom of assembly there. We are working in this direction. We are determining the forms of our participation in the elections and our allies. I told the party meeting that we aimed to reach cooperation of real opposition and to nominate strong candidates in every electoral district. I consider it will be easy to find format of cooperation between the real oppositional forces concentrating them around the idea of strong candidates.

-Musavat refused to send its representatives to the election commissions. You said that the authorities offered you different positions in the elections commissions. What positions they are?

-These issues are mostly dated to 2006. In that time, the parliamentary authorities offered to take positions assigned for us in the election commissions. But we offered them to re-organize the commissions. The musavatists will participate in the election commission only in that case because participation of several musavatists is not enough for the commissions to provide normal and fair activity while they are presided over by the YAP members. Unfortunately our proposals were not accepted and therefore we refused to join the commissions. There was no official discussion after that.

-Is the issue of representatives expected to be reviewed again?

-If our proposal is discussed and accepted, we can review it. But if there is no parity and no conditions for real participation of the opposition in the election commissions, it is meaningless for us to join the commissions. The international organizations also agree with us and they express their position that the election commissions should be re-organized so that the election parties entrust to them. If there is no equality in the commissions, how e can entrust to them? Turning the commissions into the tool of falsification in all elections showed that we are right.

-How principal are the international organizations regarding this issue?

-The international organizations are expressing their opinions at times. But they consider that the government of Azerbaijan voluntarily became the member of the Council of Europe, OSCE and other international organizations and accepted their regulations and undertook certain commitments. The international organizations are expecting for fulfillment of these commitments.

-You mentioned that one of the main issues of the action plan is the unity of opposition. Did you draw frames of organizations you intend to work with?

-We consider the unity and cooperation of real opposition expedient. We made public statements about that and delivered our proposal to those organizations as well.

-Why do you consider it possible to work only with AXCP (Azerbaijan Popular Front Party)?

-I consider this issue should be discussed not in the press, but between the organizations.

-The Union for Democracy made public address to the opposition to establish cooperation without debates, but there was no resultâ€¦

-This proposal is learned now and we will respond them after completing of evaluation of the proposal.

-Their proposal is concerning only the joint meeting of several parties. Is it difficult to decide whether to participate at the meeting or not?

-The discussions are going on. The question is about not only the consultations between Musavat and Classic Popular Front Party. Their proposal covers larger staff. We are not only organization to respond them, but others also have to express their opinion about that. The issue will be clarified after the discussions.

-What is your opinion about this proposal?

-I am always supporting the consultations. But we have to wait for other partiesâ€™ positions at first and then to return to these talks.

-Is it possible for the opposition to establish its united election block as it was in 2005?

-Musavat, AXCP and ADP established a bloc in 2005. But there were other blocs, too. Then it was noted that the oppositionâ€™s unity was not complete. There are tens of political organizations in Azerbaijan calling themselves opposition. Everybody knows that unification of all these organizations in one bloc is not real. Therefore, every organization makes proposals the way it sees cooperation. We offered the cooperation of the real opposition and consider that within the framework of real cooperation of opposition it is possible to take into consideration the interests of strong representatives of some other parties. Strong representatives of the parties not directly represented in the oppositionâ€™s bloc, non-party public figures, experts can be defended. We consider it normal.

-Why the related talks have not started?

-The process is going on. We simply do not want to discuss the details of these issues in press. Discussion of the details of the process in press sometimes causes problems.

-Why? How can press have negative influence on this decision, if the decision has been passed and there is political will?

-The question is the decision has not been passed yet. After the decision is passed we will state in what format we will participate in the elections. Discussion of individual positions in press unless the decision is passed causes useless contradictions. It makes it hard to reach the goal.

-In 2005 ADP was with you. But now this party is not mentioned among the parties you can cooperateâ€¦

-We do not have any problems with ADP. Simply parties have various approaches to the cooperation.

-AXCP says they will participate in any coalition only as Azadlig bloc. How do you assess this position?

-Everything is being discussed. The se issues will be publicized when a final result is achieved.

-MP Panah Huseyn considers that Isa Gambar is responsible for the oppositionâ€™s unity. How do you think?

-Panah Huseyn says that being the leader of opposition I bear most of the responsibility. This is Panah Huseynâ€™s approach, he considers that Isa Gambar is the leader of the opposition and I must bear the responsibility. But I can be responsible if this approach becomes a common position. In order to bear responsibility, one should have some authority. If most of the responsibility is laid on me, then my proposals should be taken into consideration. If agreement is reached to put forward a strong candidate from each constituency, we can accelerate its realization.

-According to some proposals, the other parties should not put forward their candidates from the constituencies where opposition leaders will be candidates. Do you have such an intention?

-We do not approach it this way. Our approach is connected with strong candidate. If in a constituency the oppositionist is ale to carry out serious election campaign, he has high chances to win, then other oppositionists should certainly try not to nominate themselves from that constituency. It may be leader of any party, or an ordinary member.

-Why donâ€™t you name anybody when you say that some parties work for foreign intelligence agencies?

-I do not accept these remarks. I determined some frames. I drew portraits, some politicians recognized their portraits and placed them in the appropriate frames. This is their problem. I reiterate that if after my statements, pseudo-opposition lost the chance to participate in the elections with real opposition, or it became a problematical issue, this is positive.

-What are these agents doing?

-They help the center they are working for to reach their goals in the socio-political process in Azerbaijan.

-Except four or five parties, the other parties have no potential. What can they do?

-Each of them serves these centers within their power, potential and in accordance with the resources allocated to them. The less their potential is, the better it is. My statements will limit their potential more.

-But you also faced such accusations, they said you were working for Iranian intelligence agenciesâ€¦

-A lot of lies, slanders were said about me within 20-25 years of my political activity. These lies do not become true when they are repeated.

-Lala Shovkat accused you of damaging the oppositionâ€™s unity, using Bolshevik methods. What can you say about it?

-Musavat has been serving the nation, struggling against bolshevism for 100 years. If my position has prevented the unity of real opposition and puppet opposition, this is a struggle against bolshevism.

Are there forces among these agent parties, which were with you once? Have they wanted to bring you nearer to them?

- Of course, such cases happened in different times, in different formats. The agent never speaks about his mission. They just try to confuse us, weaken us by the instructions of those centers.

-What steps are expected on restoration of the proportional election system?

- We will continue our measures in this direction. But the government is not ready for this.

-Your tenure expires this year. There are anxieties and thoughts that after Isa Gambarâ€™s leaving, Musavat will also weaken as AMIP and ALP.

- These are different situations. Musavat is not a party around one person. It is a party established around idea and it has centennial history. The second, I am not intending to be a leader of the party after leaving this post. Party structures will be given opportunity to elect a new leader according to Regulations and this new leader will lead the party in accordance with the authorities of Regulations. Thatâ€™s why it is an issue being on the focus of attention in the country after the parliamentary elections. But I think that we will present to society one more new example of the democracy.

-Arenâ€™t you afraid of its negative result?

- All democratic examples brought to Azerbaijan by Musavat gave positive results and I believe that it will also end positively.

-What status will you be represented at the party with?

- I will continue my activity as an ordinary member of the party. I am not intending for representation at leading structures of the party. I think that it is also great honour and great responsibility to act as an ordinary member at Musavat.

-So, you will give your own office to a new leader and leave, wonâ€™t you?

- You know, I said that I am not intending for party leadership after party chairmanship as it do others.

-How will you interfere in the party works on principal issues?

- I donâ€™t think that ordinary member influence the policy of the party much, but if there is a need, I will say my opinion. If there is a needâ€¦.

-But in the Azerbaijani reality it is not so convincingâ€¦

- Musavat Party provided the women with right to vote in Azerbaijan in 1918. This idea, this innovation wasnâ€™t convincing at time. But now everybody receive it normally.

-Do you have any candidate for chairmanship?

- Members of Musavat will elect their leader themselves. It is in the authority of congress to nominate a candidate.

-In any case, you will also be the congress memberâ€¦

- Then I will vote for nominated candidates.