Deadly protest action terminated

After an 18-day hunger-strike, which commenced on January 21 and turned into a deadly thirst-strike on February 4 in protest to the deplorable social conditions, the seven Garabagh war handicapped terminated their action following talks with MPs Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh, Sabir Rustamkhanli, as well as president's chief-of-staff Ramiz Mehdiyev on Thursday, February 8.

A day earlier, Finance Minister had said in a televised address that the current allowances for the disabled would be raised. He did not rule out the possibility of reconsidering the state budget.

According to the chairman of the Society of the Handicapped Etimad Asadov, the deadly strike has been temporarily suspended, but the society will resume the protest action if the demands of the handicapped are not complied.

2 demands complied

According to the deputy chairman of the society Gunduz Rahimov, after talks with finance minister Avaz Alakbarov and his deputy Heydar Asadov, two of the three demands of the protesters have been complied.

The minister, for example, promised to raise their pensions and allowances. It has also been agreed upon to embark on talks between the society and the government.

According to Mr. Rahimov, the talks will start early next week. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance has said it will be unable to fulfil the third demand - to set up a special government commission to control over the execution of presidential decrees relating to the benefits for the Garabagh handicapped. This, the ministry says, is the prerogative of the head of state only.

Another society of handicapped set up

A constituent congress of the society of the handicapped, veterans and families of the Garabagh war victims was held in Baku Friday.

Chairman of the organizing committee of the Society, lieutenant-colonel Mehdi Mehdiyev, in his remarks, condemned the hunger-strike by leaders of the Society of the Garabagh Handicapped and termed it as a blow upon Azerbaijan's statehood.

Some of the opposition newspapers wrote Saturday that the new society has been set up by the authorities.

President's office pledges to consider demands of handicapped

MP from the PFPA reform wing Jamil Hasanli proposed Tuesday to discuss the demands of the Garabagh handicapped, who suspended the hunger-strike several days ago. Chairing at the session, first vice-speaker Arif Rahimzadeh said the Garabagh handicapped should, of course, be taken care of, but there be no exceptional groups in the society. He described the issue as nothing but political speculation.

Opposing the vice-speaker, MP Sabir Rustamkhanli, who brokered the negotiations between the authorities and the disabled, said those who defended the motherland be considered exceptional.

According to him, President's chief-of-staff Ramiz Mehdiyev told him that a meeting with the handicapped would be held.