Domestic

Domestic

What are the functions of party leaders in Azerbaijan? â€“ Investigation

12 November 2008 10:13 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elnur Mammadli â€“ APA. In most democratic countries the chairmen of the parties that participate in the elections and fail to win resign. It has not happened in Azerbaijan so far, though the chairmen of Azerbaijani opposition parties have failed almost in all the elections since 1993. For the first time a party chairman resigned in Azerbaijan in 2003, but not because of the failure in the elections. Actually the persons resigning from the party chairmanship remained in the party. This time as a leaderâ€¦ Does Azerbaijani politics need institute of leadership? What is the aim, negative and positive sides of this institute?
Lala Shovkat, former chairperson, current leader of Azerbaijan Liberal Party, who did it first, told APA that it was necessary to establish such an institute:
â€œBecause we formed those parties. Of course some came to this party not because of ideology, but because of me. This is also important. There is a need for a leader to keep these people and establish stability in the party.â€
Lala Shovkat said being a leader she had the power to interfere in the partyâ€™s ideology and strategic issues. But she does not interfere in structure, personnel.
â€œThe first function of a leader is to put out a fire. There are divergences, disputes concerning some issues in the party, they appeal to me and I give my recommendations. Leader is needed to maintain stability. In parliamentary republics the presidents have little authority. But he is a symbol of stability. Maybe one day there will be no need for a leader. But now leader is needed,â€ she said.
Head of ALP Executive Committee Elman Mammadzadeh also stated that they needed Lale Shovkat as leader.
â€œMembers of the party insisted in Lale to be a leader for her merits before the people. The leader determines strategic ways of the party at present. Acting Chief, Executive Committee and other departments carry out current problems and management. Leader cannot pass a legal decision and directs ideology and strategy of the party. Authorities of the party pass a decisionâ€, he said.
Etibar Mammadov, who took leader post in Azerbaijan National Independence Party declined to give information. He stated that the issue was solved in congress of AMIP, there were amendments on the regulations and the Institute was established.
â€œThis is an honorary status. I am not engaged in daily issues of AMIPâ€, he said.
â€œI do need to speak about my competences. The regulations cover all these issues. I do not interfere in current problems. I have right to veto decisions adopted in the partyâ€, he said.
AMIP Secretary General Fuad Mukhtarov noted that their moral leader was not engaged in daily problems of the party. He is a symbol of the party. These issues are in the regulations of the party. If there is a critical situation in the party, we will appeal to the leaderâ€, he said.
After resignation from the chairmanship of Azerbaijan Democratic Party Rasul Guliyev would rather be a leader of newly-established Open Society Party than its chairman. OSP Chairman Akif Shahbazov told APA they chose this way because the leadership institution was a political product of last periods. Shahbazov said the leader was not engaging in domestic issues and mutually the party directed its potential toward presidency of its leader in future. â€œThe party is free in all tactical issues and only strategic ones are consulted with the leader. Establishing of this institution doesnâ€™t create any problem for the party. On the contrary, it is very positive step. The party is consulting with its leader in some cases. The leader never disrespects the partyâ€™s free decisionsâ€.
Only politician in Azerbaijan, resigned from the party chairmanship and became its ordinary member, is the former chairman of Azerbaijan Peopleâ€™s Party, member of the parliament Panah Huseyn. APP chairman is now Giyas Sadigov. Panah Huseyn told APA that he had no intentions to take post of partyâ€™s leader and added that establishing of leadership institution was not contrary to the legislation. He said the party was free to establish any institution and there were analogical cases in the world. â€œIt is a form of innovation. Unfortunately Azerbaijan faces with serious crisis in the field of political parties because there is no environment of common political concurrence. Most of the parties in our country were established around the leaders and therefore they canâ€™t change their leaders. Etibar Mammadovâ€™s resignation from AMIP couldnâ€™t cause any activation in the party, on the contrary led it to the split and serious crisis. On the other hand, there is a need in more popular and experienced people in this environment. That is to say that during the critical period inexperienced people can lead the party to the negative resultsâ€.