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Mevlut Cavusoglu: â€œOne cannot hold protest actions wherever he wantsâ€

14 April 2010 17:20 (UTC +04:00)

PACE President said there should be freedom of assembly in every society.
â€œBut it obeys to a permission, laws, the societyâ€™s security is ensured. Mass actions in the atmosphere of mutual understanding can also be held in Azerbaijan. During the meeting I recommended the authorities and opposition to determine the venues of the pickets together with the Interior Ministry. In terms of security one cannot hold protest actions wherever he wants. But these venues should be determined together. I hope in the atmosphere of understanding there will be no problems,â€ he said.

Commenting on the opposition partiesâ€™ accusations that he had pro-government position, supported the authorities in 2003, Mevlut Cavusoglu said everybody in Azerbaijan was equal for them.
â€œWe do not differentiate between the authorities and opposition. We always express our objective views. The parliamentarians at the Council of Europe also know that I am objective and fair. Therefore they have elected me president. Sometimes some people may not like my views. But I reiterate similar views now and do not aim to please somebody. I said some opposition parties, authorities and police were guilty in the happenings that followed the presidential elections in Azerbaijan in 2003. I was quite unbiased. Opposition parties may not like it. This is normal. But what I said was true, it was connected with the happenings in Azerbaijan after the elections. My views have been preserved in the archive of the Council of Europe. Then I said â€œBoth sides confused meâ€. Some did not like it. but I will continue to tell the truth,â€ he said.