Opposition news

PNIA LEADERS ACCUSED OF LYING

"The new office of the Party of National Independence of Azerbaijan (PNIA) is the private property of the chairman of the Azerbaijan Party of Democratic Independence (APDI) Vagif Karimov and the PNIA leader is lying when he says that he was unaware of that", V. Karimov told a news conference Thursday.

He added that his party was a member of the Democratic Congress-2, which is going to run for presidency as a single bloc. However, Mr. Karimov mentioned that the PNIA and PFPA reformers are working on an agreement behind the scenes, whereby the two parties would nominate one candidate. Therefore, if such an agreement works out, ADPI will drop out of DemCongress-2, he said.

V. Karimov left Azerbaijan in late 1998 shortly after facing charges of criminal wrongdoings and returned only in December 2000 following an amnesty on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

According to him, his business companion G. Mahmudov had illegally taken over his 3,200 square meter property. V. Karimov said he would go to court.

E. MAMMADOV CAUTIONS AGAINST ISLAMIC REVOLUTION

Chairman of the Party of National Liberation Etibar Mammadov told his first news conference at the party's new office that the authorities tend to suppress all political forces in the country using the Iranian model.

E. Mammadov added that the government does not respond to Iran's defiant action in the Caspian and to take adequate measures because Tehran is hushing up the Azeri government's illegal sale of 1.5 million tons of oil a year in transit through Iran. He appreciated the sharp protest note of the Turkish administration. "Such a step should have been taken by Azerbaijan too", he said.

The PNIA leader mentioned that the influence of religious organizations in the country is growing, which may lead to an Islamic revolution. He called on all political forces to join effort to prevent this from happening.

CIVIL UNITY PARTY ALARMED

Friday's explosion of the monument to Sheik Shamil is a harbinger of the threat that could break out in the north of Azerbaijan, one of the Civil Unity Party executives Anar Erturan said Saturday and urged the authorities to investigate the terrorist act.

According to him, members of the Lezgin "Sadval" terrorist group are being armed in northern parts of Azerbaijan, which can very soon turn into unnecessary headache for Azerbaijan. It is no secret that together with members of "Sadval" the population of Azerbaijan's northern regions is adopting Russian nationality, he said.

As far as the blown up monument is concerned, the politician thinks pro-Russian forces apparently wanted, though with some delay, to take revenge on the Caucasus commander who fiercely fought the Russian Empire.