Domestic

Domestic

Ramiz Mehdiyev: Various international organizations attempt to exert pressure on Azerbaijan on the eve of every election

03 May 2008 13:10 (UTC +04:00)

He said that this position of the international organizations is designed for a certain target.
â€œBut Azerbaijan has its won way and is developing under the leadership of our president. As regards the elections, I state once more that presidential elections will be normal and transparent in Azerbaijan. May be it will be the most democratic elections in the history of Azerbaijan,â€ he said.
Asked whether the imprisoned journalists will be pardoned, Ramiz Mehdiyev said their pardoning is not on the agenda. He said that the Presidential Executive Office has not received reports on signing the act of amnesty.
Assessing the statements of various international organizations that freedom of expression and press is suppressed in Azerbaijan Ramiz Mehdiyev said these statements are groundless.
â€œI think there is freedom of press and expression in Azerbaijan, it is developing and there is no restriction in this field. Compared with 1993 freedom of expression is widely spread in the country. As I have already noted, the statements that freedom of expression is suppressed in Azerbaijan are a kind of pressure on Azerbaijan,â€ he said.
Ramiz Mehdiyev said that the proposed amendments to the Electoral Code are of technical character and underlined that the parliament will make the final decision.