Fwd: Azerbajani NGOs in Georgia
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Subject: Fwd: Azerbajani NGOs in Georgia
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>
Fwd: Azerbajani NGOs in Georgia
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From: Ulvi Hakimov <[email protected]>
A Z E R B A I J A N BULLETIN-120 (181), November 02 1999 (ENGLISH)
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AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL DEMOCRACY FOUNDATION (ANDF)
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Editor: ULVI HAKIMOV
Translator: RUHIYYA JAMILLY
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1. AZERBAIJANI NGOs IN GEORGIA
By Zalimkhan Mammadov
2. THE POPULAR FRONT CALLS FOR PROTEST ACTIONS
3. PARTY MUSAVAT TO APPEAL PEOPLE
4. HEIDAR ALIEV AWARDED ATATURK PEACE PRIZE
5. HUMAN RIGHT: ARRESTS AND JUDGEMENTS
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#1. AZERBAIJANI NGOs IN GEORGIA
There is a great need of enlightening Azeris living in Kvemo Kartli
province of Georgia with democracy.
There were held parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 31 1999.
The parliament is formalized with 150 deputies elected on proportional
system and 85 elected on majority system, according to the 49th item
of the Constitution of the Georgian Republic. The quorum is 33 percent
of electors and minimum barrier is 7 percent (it was 5 percent in
previous parliamentary elections).
There are 310 thousand Azeris living in Georgia according to the
general census held in Georgia in 1989. They are mainly living in
Marnauli, Gardabani, Dianisi, Bolnisi, Zalga, and Tetriskharo regions
of the Kvemo Kartli province.
The number of electors is nearly 400 thousand in the Kvemo Kartli
province. The number of Azeri electors is nearly 300 thousand and it
means approximately 60-70 percent of electors in this province,
according to initial accounts. Four places were separated to Azeris in
the parliament in the previous elections.
Both of the four "elected" deputies were representatives of the "Civil
Union" headed by the current Georgian president Shevardnadze, and
their activities in the parliament were not so attractive.
The Azeris living in Georgia are isolated from the political processes
in the country regardless the membership of Georgia to the European
Council. The politically passive Azerbaijani electorate is useful for
the ruling team.
The democratic parties of Georgia do not understand the wrong tactics
in their activity. The artificially formed thought that "Azeris are
against democrats" has also influenced (unfortunately) on the
democratic political specter of Georgia. It seems as if the
Azerbaijani electorate is an undiscovered iseland for the development
of democracy.
The Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) rightly
appreciated the situation of Azeris living in Georgia and organized a
visit of representatives of some NGOs of Azerbaijan to that region.
Novella Jafarova, chairwoman of the D.Alieva Committee for the
Protection of Women's Rights, Ulvi Hakimov, vice-president of the
Azerbaijan National Democracy Foundation (ANDF), Vahid Gaziev,
director of the Center for Pluralism "Inam", Ali Guliev, director of
the Support Center for Democratic Elections, Zalimkhan Mammadov,
member of the ANDF, and others participated in the visit. The visit
was held in two stages.
I stage: to study the situation of the Azerbaijani electorate living
in Georgia before the parliamentary elections, hold enlightenment on
the electoral rights, and distribute the documents among Azeris on the
legislation of the Georgian Republic on elections that were published
in Azeri by the support of the IDEE.
II stage: to observe the process of the election in the Election Day.
The first stage of program was from October 10-14 and was held
successfully. We organized several workshops in Gardabani and Marnauli
regions, held meetings with the leaders of the several leading parties
of Georgia - Civil Union, National Democratic Alliance, the Labor
Party, the party of Republicans, and others.
The second stage was from October 30 till November 1 1999. We intended
to participate in the elections as an international observers by using
of all rules, but the Central Electoral Commission of Georgia on
parliamentary elections did not accredit our delegation. The Georgian
government did not want to give the representatives of the Azerbaijani
NGOs the status of observers in the elections. Even the secretary of
the Commission confirmed this fact. The Azerbaijani delegation
finished their visit on November 1.
We saw that the Azerbaijani electorate is isolated from the political
processes in Georgia: the ruling party can use of its order in the
country. There is no democratic enlightenment, disregarded NGOs that
have to act in this field. Political democratic parties can not form
active work with Azeris living in Georgia.
The organization of the Georgian Azeris towards the democratic
institutions is necessary for overthrowing this situation. The
formation of NGOs on electoral reforms, democratic and legal
enlightenment, protection of economic, political, civil rights,
agrarian and ecological fields is very important.
It is also very important that NGOs of Azerbaijan and Georgia prepare
and realize together projects in these fields. The mutual corporation
of political parties of both countries can also be very useful.
The initiatives of directing the activity of the international
democratic donor organization will cause attracting Azeris living in
Georgia to the democratic processes in the country. For me, this can
play an important role in the strategic corporation between Georgia
and Azerbaijan.
* By Zalimkhan Mammadov
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The AZERBAIJAN BULLETIN publishes a range of materials including
analytical pieces, interviews, political commentary, press
announcements, texts of various party declarations and political
speeches, and information on human rights and democracy. In this
manner, the Bulletin strives to include as wide a range of sources and
political viewpoints as possible, and most importantly, supplement the
limited information available to the international community.
In addition to its own staff writers, ANDF collects information for
the Bulletin through cooperation with independent journalists,
newspapers, political parties, social and political organizations,
research centers, and NGOs.
This Bulletin is sponsored by the Institute for Democracy in Eastern
Europe (IDEE-Washington).
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Copyright (c) Azerbaijan National Democracy Foundation (ANDF) 1999
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