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YAP functionary missed roundtable in U.S. embassy in Azerbaijan

24 February 2009 15:30 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elnur Mammadli â€“ APA. U.S. embassy in Azerbaijan has today held a roundtable on the theme â€œPolitical situation and forthcoming referendum in Azerbaijanâ€. The event was closed for media. Head of Central Executive Office of Musavat Party Arif Hajili, chairman of Democratic Party Serdar Jalaloglu, chairman of Umid Party Igbal Agazadeh, acting chairman of Liberal Party Evez Temirkhan, chairman of Citizen Solidarity Party Sabir Rustamkhanli, deputy chairman of Popular Front Party Fuad Mustafayev and chairperson of Peace and Democracy Institute Leyla Yunus attended the roundtable. Head of Central Executive Office of Musavat Party Arif Hajili told APA that the two-hour meeting focused on socio-political situation in the country, state of democracy, problems in this field and elimination of the problems. Special attention was paid to the referendum to be held on March 18. The representatives of opposition expressed their opinion on freedom of assembly during the referendum campaign, equal conditions in the promotion campaign and other issues.
â€œThe ambassador expressed common opinion. As usual, it was noted that democracy was not the internal affair of a state, it should be spread throughout the world. It was repeated that the US was interested in the development of democracy in Azerbaijan,â€ he said.

Chairman of Azerbaijan Democratic Party Serdar Jalaloglu told APA that despite invitation, representative of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) had not attended the meeting.

Deputy executive secretary of YAP Mubariz Gurbanli told APA he missed the roundtable because of the parliamentâ€™s sitting.
â€œDoes a congressman leave the Congress to attend a roundtable? I had said beforehand that would miss the event because of the parliamentâ€™s sitting,â€ he said.