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Marc Perrin de Brichambaut: Azerbaijan has an extraordinary opportunity now to continue advancing towards a stable, prosperous and democratic society -EXCLUSIVE

12 February 2008 12:23 (UTC +04:00)

- How do you assess the present situation in Azerbaijan?
-Resolving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and opening the countryâ€™s external environment are key tasks. Still, I believe Azerbaijan has an extraordinary opportunity now to continue advancing towards a stable, prosperous and democratic society. The opportunity has arisen thanks to the unique economic situation of Azerbaijan and the countryâ€™s rapid economic growth. In order to fully benefit from this opportunity, however, Azerbaijan has to continue with the efforts to modernize its institutions. This includes advancing decidedly towards a democratic system and developing a market economy that diminishes dependence on a single sector and that is based on the rule of law. Much has been achieved already, but considerable work lies ahead.
- Is it possible to have free and fair elections in Azerbaijan with the current composition of election commissions? What will OSCE do if the elections are not in line with the international standards?
- Every OSCE country has undertaken commitments to hold elections that are in line with democratic standards. In the OSCE framework, they have created structures and institutions, including the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to provide expert advice and assistance to help them live up to those commitments.
Together with the authorities of Azerbaijan and the Council of Europeâ€™s Venice Commission, ODIHR is currently discussing the implementation of previous election-related recommendations, including the composition of election commissions in a manner that will ensure public confidence. There are also a number of other issues that should be addressed. A truly inclusive discussion of eventual draft amendments to the Election Code would contribute to the development of public confidence in the election process.
ODIHR election observation missions always provide an assessment of the degree to which a country’s elections meet OSCE commitments, and â€“ more importantly â€“ specific recommendations for concrete steps to overcome any identified shortcomings.
- Some of the imprisoned journalists have been released in Azerbaijan, but some others are still in prison. What is OSCE going to do about that?
- We welcomed the pardoning of some journalists in December as a step towards improving and normalizing the media situation in the country. At the same time, we continue to urge the authorities to release those journalists who remain in detention and to move forward on legal reforms that would prevent the criminalization of journalistic work and allow the media to report on issues of public interest without fear of prosecution. Rethinking the libel laws would be the strongest step in this direction. The OSCE stands ready to further support the Government of Azerbaijan to fulfill its OSCE commitments with regard to freedom of the media.

- OSCE organized dialogue between Azerbaijani opposition and authorities several times. But these dialogues did not produce concrete results. What is the reason of it? Is OSCE going to organize another dialogue before the presidential elections?
- The OSCE promotes co-operation and dialogue between government authorities, and political parties, as well as with non-governmental organizations and civil society. As part of the democratic process, it is the task of all political parties to engage in open debate, to reflect properly the different views that exist in society and to present alternative platforms, ideas and programmes that offer voters a clear choice. It is also necessary that political parties do their best to ease existing tensions and to overcome their reluctance to talk to each other, particularly in light of the forthcoming election. We understand that this is often a difficult process, and the OSCE stands ready to facilitate a constructive dialogue among all political actors.
- The representatives of opposition parties blame the international organizations, as well as OSCE for not taking severe measures against Azeri governmentâ€¦
The role of the OSCE is to assist its participating States in fulfilling OSCE commitments in all three dimensions of security, and to engage with them constructively on key issues of interest. The OSCE Office in Baku does this with the Azerbaijani authorities, political parties, and a broad cross-section of the countryâ€™s civil society. In addition, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights are very active in providing support, including by making recommendations. Furthermore, the OSCE Permanent Council provides a forum for regular political dialogue and exchange of views among all OSCE participating States, including on developments in Azerbaijan such as the electoral process and issues relating to freedom of the media. Our purpose is not to be â€œsevere,â€ but rather to promote democratic development by supporting states like Azerbaijan in implementing the commitments they themselves have undertaken.
-Will OSCE raise the budget of its Baku office in 2008?
-The 2008 budget is still being negotiated. Irrespective of the current deadlock between the participating States, which we hope will be resolved soon, the OSCE Office in Baku will make full and effective use of all the resources allocated to it. In particular, emphasis will be placed on projects related to the electoral process, improving policing according to democratic standards, enhancing the capacity of the judiciary, fighting corruption and diversifying the economy.
-The activity of OSCE Minsk mediating in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has produced no results yet. Some experts say it might be better if the mediators are changed. What do you think about it?
The OSCE is committed to the existing conflict-resolution structures and supports the work of the Minsk Group. While we have not made as much progress as we would have liked, I think it would be a mistake to blame this on the mediators. The Co-chairs of the Minsk Group are working hard to assist the parties in finding a mutually agreeable solution. For this to happen, the political will to resolve the conflict must come from the parties themselves.