Azerbaijani opposition calls on to reject amendments to Constitution

Members of the Azerbaijani opposition spoke against the amendments to the Constitution proposed by President Ilham Aliev. The opposition believes that the proposed changes will entail the establishment of authoritarianism in Azerbaijan. Members of the ruling party reject the criticism voiced by the opposition.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 18, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev signed an order to send to the Constitutional Court a draft of the Act on referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Azerbaijan. The Constitutional Court is to issue an opinion on the draft.

On July 21, the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) issued a statement in which it described the amendments as an attempt to establish a "constitutional monarchy" in Azerbaijan.

"Those amendments are aimed at creating the legal framework for the continued and unlimited domination of the ruling family. In fact, the adoption of those amendments would mean an attempt to legitimize a neo-monarchy system emerging in Azerbaijan. At present, Ilham Aliev, who in fact inherited the power from his father, seeks to change the political system for constitutional monarchy in order to ensure the eternal power of his family. Thus, in accordance with the amendments, he prolongs the presidential term up to seven years, gets the right to appoint the First Vice-President without the consent of anyone and, when necessary, to entitle him with power for a transitional period until a new leader of the state is elected," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Djamil Gasanli, the leader of the NCDF.

The NCDF has appealed to the international community with a request not to remain indifferent to the violation of government commitments to international organizations and to condemn "the Ilham Aliev's attempt to return Azerbaijan to the Middle Ages."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.