Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 June / corr. Trend E.Babayev / The left centrist Azerbaijan Social-Democratic Party (ASDP) urges that the special interests are hidden behind the opposition protests concerning supplements and changes to the Election Code. "Our party dissatisfied with supplements and changes to the Elections Code. Any limitation on the opposition's opportunity is out of question," Araz Alizade, the co-chairman of the ASDP, told Trend on Friday.
Presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan in 15 October. On 2 June the Parliament adopted supplements and changes to the Elections Code. In accordance with this draft law, the term of the pre-election campaign was reduced from 120 days to 75 days, registration of the candidates on the basis of deposit accounts was eliminated, the number of required signatures was reduced from 45,000 to 40,000, and propaganda of the candidates on the state-owned media was prohibited.
Alizade asserts that there are financial interests behind the dissatisfaction of some oppositional parties. "They want to gain the much," Alizade said. He stated that there was not any item in the bill on supplements and changes to cause dissatisfaction. "Our position should not be accepted as support to the Government. However, it is the reality," Alizade noted.
As to ASDP's stepping back from radical position on the authorities over the past period, Alizade said: "There is no use from radicalism." Alizade assured that even if the candidates from opposition united, they would not gain more than 25% of votes at the democratic elections. "Ilham Aliyev, the current head of the state nominated as a candidate from the authorities, will win the elections," he said.
The SDPA is the left centrist oppositional party. Araz Alizade and Ayaz Mutallibov, ex-president of Azerbaijan, who currently lives in emigration, are the co-chairmen of the party.
Mutallibov was elected first president of Azerbaijan after the independence of the country in 1991. He left the country following the Popular Front of Azerbaijan's accession to power and now lives in Russia.
Mutallibov is on the international search on the basis of accusation by the Prosecutor General. Mutallibov is charged of attempts to coup d'etat, establishment of illegal armed groups, accession to power by force and other heinous crimes.
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