Baku, September 9, AZERTAC

“The statement released yesterday on behalf of the chairman of the Milli Majlis committee, Eldar Ibrahimov, who is represented on the leadership of the New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), has caused some misunderstanding on social networks and public opinion.

As the Azerbaijani President`s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs and as a person represented on the leadership of the NAP, I declare that the attitude of both our party and the incumbent authorities to this issue was laid down by the national leader and founder of the state and party Heydar Aliyev, and it remains unchanged to this day,” Azerbaijani President`s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov has posted on Facebook.

The Presidential Assistant said: “I recall that the response of national leader Heydar Aliyev to the appeal of representatives of the Azerbaijani intellectuals made to him through the media in 1992 was adopted as a manifesto of the new political movement and the NAP, which is in the vanguard of this movement. The principles and criteria reflected in this manifesto still represent the main credo of our political activities. This address of Heydar Aliyev to representatives of the intellectuals in 1992 was not just a political and ideological program of a new political party, but also of an independent state we began to build.

In his address, the national leader called on all the sound forces of Azerbaijan to rally around the ideas of a unified statehood and Azerbaijanism, to contribute to the construction of an independent and new Azerbaijani state.

Over the entire period of his stay in power, the national leader always remained committed to the idea of unity and solidarity, created conditions for people possessing managerial and intellectual qualities and interested in serving Azerbaijani statehood in the name of civil accord and national unity in the country to be represented in the NAP and in the team created by the party. The national leader became the first leader in the history of Azerbaijan to abolish censorship, to decide on the joint representation of various political forces in parliament, and to fully support political pluralism and freedom of speech as necessary principles of modern development. He considered it important to discuss national issues together with political opponents and maintain an open dialogue and cooperation with everyone for the solution of all issues.

Such an approach from the position of Azerbaijanism and statehood and a commitment to national solidarity have been consistently continued during the presidency of President Ilham Aliyev, who is the follower of the political heritage of the national leader. Ilham Aliyev’s words that “I will be the president for all Azerbaijanis”, which he said after his first presidential election in 2003, confirm that these principles remain unchanged for him.

I declare once again that these principles are remain unchanged. The Azerbaijani authorities are open to cooperation with any group or person interested in serving our state and statehood, do not consider their political opponents to be enemies and consider it acceptable to cooperate and discuss national issues with them. The judgments spread on behalf of Eldar Ibrahimov do not reflect the position of the NAP and the authorities led by Ilham Aliyev.”