Parliament news

RI MPS LEAVE FOR RUSSIA

A Milli Mejlis delegation comprising members of the group for inter-parliamentary relations with Russia and led by MP Yashar Aliyev left for Moscow Monday.

The delegation is expected to focus on issues of expanding inter-parliamentary ties, according to a parliament source.

KHOJALI GENOCIDE TO BE RAISED IN TURKISH PARLIAMENT

Chairman of the Civil Solidarity Party (CSP) MP Sabir Rustamkhanli and ideological secretary of the party Fazayil Ibrahimli will leave for Turkey on February 16 to forward the party's statement on recognition of the Khojali genocide perpetrated by Armenians on February 26, 1992, a party source told Azernews Thursday.

While in Istanbul, the party leaders will attend conferences dedicated to the Garabagh problem and genocide in Khojali.

They are going to show photos, video and audio materials documenting the massacre in Khojali at various conferences in Turkey.

AMBASSADORIAL TERM SET AT 5 YEARS

Ambassadors will be appointed for a period of 5 years, but their term can either be prolonged or curtailed by the President, while a diplomatic rank is provided for life (unless otherwise is stipulated).

These and other changes to the draft law "On diplomatic service" were introduced Monday during a joint meeting of permanent parliamentary commissions on international relations and on legal policy and state building.

The draft bill will be put on second hearing.

CONTROL OVER STREET ADVERTISING TO BE EXERCISED BY MUNICIPALITIES

Permanent commission of the Milli Mejlis on issues of economic policy decided Thursday to put on discussion in the parliament the changes to the law "On advertising".

The draft bill envisions that control over street advertising be passed from executive to municipal power bodies throughout the republic, except Baku and Ganja.

Opponents of the changes voiced protest over the exclusion of Baku and Ganja, saying that this violates the constitutional rights of municipalities and will lead to monopolization and eventual collapse of municipal bodies in these two cities.

PRIVILEGES FOR CC JUDGES PROPOSED

The permanent commission of the Milli Mejlis on issues of legal policy and state building considered Thursday the additions and changes to the laws "On Constitutional Court" and "On courts and judges", that had been forwarded to the parliament by the president.

According to the changes, the salary of the chairman of the CC is to be raised to the level of that of the parliament speaker (AZM3,000,000), while deputy chairmen's - to the level of vice-speakers'. Also envisioned is the immunity of judges and members of their families, reimbursement of their destroyed property by the government. Judges cannot be dismissed without their consent, etc.

OPPOSITION INSISTS ON CHANGES IN IN-HOUSE BY-LAWS

Chairman of the "Yurddash" party Mais Safarli proposed Tuesday to amend the in-house by-laws of the Milli Mejlis - to decrease the number of MPs required to establish a parliament faction.

According to him, the requirement of 25 MPs for a faction is too strict. In democratic countries, he said, the figure does not exceed 10% of the number of parliamentarians.

CHANGES IN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT COMING UP

Following the suggestions of the Council of Europe Venice Commission, a plan of changes in the Azerbaijan Constitutional Court has been prepared, to be executed within 1.5 years, according to the coordinator for relations between the Milli Mejlis and the Venice Commission, the parliament chief-of-staff Safa Mirzayev.

According to him, it is impossible to resolve this issue any sooner, which is explained by constitutional procedures.

Additions to constitutional articles can either be introduced through referenda or on the basis of the Law on Constitution (which has to be adopted by the majority of 94 votes twice in 6 months).

Afterwards, the Constitutio-nal Court can become accessible for ordinary citizens of the country, he said.