Ruling party MP says corruption one of "many" problems in Azerbaijan
Yeni Musavat, Baku
11 Jul 07
A senior figure of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, MP Malahat
Hasanova, has said that "Azerbaijan has many problems including
bribery, corruption, laziness, and bureaucracy". Speaking to the
opposition daily Yeni Musavat, Hasanova did not rule out the
possibility of jailed journalists being pardoned. She also hailed
recent visits by a group of Azerbaijani intellectuals to Nagornyy
Karabakh and Armenia. The following is an excerpt from an interview
with MP Malahat Hasanova in Yeni Musavat newspaper on 11 July headlined
"’Ali Insanov should serve his punishment’" and subheaded "A member of
the political board of the NAP, Malahat Hasanova: There is bribery,
corruption, and bureaucracy in Azerbaijan. The court verdict on Huseyn
Abdullayev was fair"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
Functionaries of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party [NAP], including those
who until recently did not see problems in being interviewed by our
paper, have now imposed an unofficial embargo against Yeni Musavat
newspaper. In light of this, we were not fully sure that our
conversation with MP Malahat Hasanova, member of the political board of
the NAP, will take place.
Nevertheless, the member of parliament lived up to her promise given
during the spring session of the Milli Maclis [parliament] and finally
honoured her promise to grant an interview to our paper. Anyway, we
would like to believe that "the ice is broken" and from now on NAP
representatives will review their attitudes towards our paper.
No journalist appealed for pardoning
First, we asked Malahat xanim [mode of address], who is a member of the
State Pardoning Commission [under the president], whether or not our
jailed colleagues will be pardoned.
[Hasanova] No journalist has personally appealed to me. Nevertheless,
there is a copious amount of appeals from other inmates. Every appeal
is thoroughly scrutinized. Nowadays there are reports on hunger
strikers at the Qobustan prison. I have familiarized myself with some
of their cases. They committed horrible crimes. However, the opposition
media has politicized lifers’ cases.
[Correspondent] [The head of the public and political department of the
presidential administration] Ali Hasanov has said that jailed
journalists could be pardoned. Generally speaking, has the commission
held a sitting and is a pardon possible in the near future? To what
extent is it possible for the journalists to be released ahead of
National Press Day [22 July]?
[Hasanova] The pardoning commission functions uninterruptedly and deals
with any appeals effectively. However, the president has the power of
pardoning. The pardoning commission sticks to unrestricted humanity.
Thousands of prisoners have been pardoned in the past few years. I
believe that any appeal for pardoning irrespective of it being from a
journalist or any other criminal could be satisfied in conformity with
the commission’s statute.
[Passage omitted: Hasanova plans to have a rest in Agstafa with her
mother]
Hails visits to Karabakh and Armenia
[Correspondent] The visits by Azerbaijani intellectuals to Nagornyy
Karabakh and Yerevan received varying reactions. There are reports that
a visit by parliamentarians is also in the pipeline. Have you been
offered such a visit?
[Hasanova] I have not been offered such a visit. I completely support
the president’s policy. At the same time, I fully back the president’s
Karabakh policy. On the other hand, we are doomed to be neighbours with
Armenia. The saying goes "change your place of residence if your
neighbour is bad". However, neither we, nor Armenians will go anywhere.
I am sure that we shall resolve this problem either by peace or war.
Even after this, we shall remain neighbours. From this vantage point, I
do no see anything calamitous and wrong in the visit by our
intellectuals to Susa. The visit by our intellectuals to Karabakh has
once again proven that it is our soil. I do not second claims that this
visit will contribute to the recognition of the separatist regime. I
could say I am the US Congress speaker. However, naturally, no-one will
believe this. True, we have suffered huge losses in this conflict. But
once the problem is resolved, Armenians have to live there too.
[passage omitted: Hasanova says people should be thinking about
resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict all the time]
Bribery, corruption, laziness, bureaucracy
[Correspondent] Is it possible that [President] Ilham Aliyev will sign
defeatist peace under international pressure?
[Hasanova] No, I do not think so. I believe that Mr President and the
chairman of my party will never do this. He withstands all possible
pressure and is able to resist it. The Karabakh problem will soon be
resolved owing to his principled policy. Because nowadays everything is
based on economic interests. Azerbaijan is developing and thriving…
[Passage omitted: The Azerbaijani Oil Fund received an international
award]
[Correspondent] What is your attitude towards the fact that Ilham
Aliyev’s name is mentioned along with dictators and is on a blacklist?
[Hasanova] Undoubtedly, I want to see Azerbaijan as the most beautiful
country in the world. We thank God for granting us an independent
state. We also are fond of our president. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan has
many problems including bribery, corruption, laziness, and bureaucracy.
At the same time, Azerbaijan comes from another system. There are
problems which require people’s involvement for their resolution and
public control should be strict and effective. People should also
change their way of thinking.
[Correspondent] Maybe bureaucrats hinder development more than ordinary
people?
[Hasanova] To a certain extent, I do share your view. Part of our
generation which is under the influence of the Soviet totalitarian
regime cannot adapt to current processes. At one time [former Turkish
President] Turgut Ozal replaced bureaucrats with those bright young men
who studied abroad.
[Correspondent] Why does Ilham Aliyev not want to get rid of officials
who have been in office for over 10 years?
[Hasanova] This cannot be done once and for all… Time resolves some
issues. We have chosen an evolutionary way and are far away from
revolutionary processes. God willing, I believe everything will be fine.
[Passage omitted: Hasanova justifies former health minister’s arrest
and blames media for defending him]
[Correspondent] To what extent is it convincing that NAP members amount
to 400,000 people?
[Hasanova] I am against the total politicization of our society. About
600 people have appealed for party membership since I was elected
chairman of the Nasimi branch of the NAP. Here is a list, if you wish,
you can go and ask each of them.
[Passage omitted: Hasanova slams a parliamentary brawl between two
members of parliament]
[ellipsis as published throughout]