The Draft Act on Referendum “On amendments and supplements in the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic” is widely being discussed. The known Russian international journalist, the First Deputy of the General Director of ITAR-TASS News Agency Mikhail Gusman shared his vision of this question with the correspondent of AZERTAC. The interview is presented in abridged form.

“I consider that the fact of discussion in Azerbaijan of the legislative initiatives about amendment in the constitution is a positive phenomenon. It, first of all, is the evidence to the democratic development in Azerbaijan inherent in the civilized world of level of the democracy when ideas, initiatives about amending the country`s legislature are discussed not behind the closed doors, but together with society.

As to discussion of the question on necessity of making amendments in the constitution providing removal of restriction on election of the same person as the president of the country more than two terms is very important that it has started right after presidential election in the country. First, these elections have shown the highest level of trust of the people to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and have shown unity of the Azerbaijani society. It is possible to understand aspiration of the Azerbaijani society to preservation of stability in the country, its interest. After all, Azerbaijan for the last two decades - all of us were witnesses of it - has experienced so much shocks and problems, including the Karabakh conflict which was not resolved up to now. There were moments when soon after declaration of independence there appeared threat to the statehood and if not of the national leader Heydar Aliyev`s return to the power in the country, maybe the Azerbaijani state would not exist today. And the incumbent president Ilham Aliyev could continue this course confidently.

It has correctly been told that democracy is a disgustful form of government, however, the mankind yet has not invented anything best. Restriction of terms of the power is not the major principle of democracy. The democracy major principle consists in that the power accurately followed laws and that leaders of the country heard and listened to the voice of the people. Therefore, how many terms the leader will be in power, is not important. The main thing is that the power and society had constant dialogue. It seems to me, Ilham Aliyev very confidently and openly carries on dialogue between the power and society.

I think that if the amendments will be accepted, it will be one more convincing proof of trust of the people to the president. There is no higher carrier of democracy, than the people, than its opinion, its position. And the opinion of the people stated on the referendum, also is the higher display of democracy…”