OPPOSITION NEWS

THREE PARTIES DROP OUT OF GROUP OF SIX

Chairmen of the PNIA, Civil Solidarity and the PFPA (reform wing) agreed Thursday on joint activities regarding the repeated parliamentary election scheduled for January 4, the PNIA chairman Etibar Mammadov told journalists after a two-hour closed-door meeting at the PFPA.

According to him, a final decision on participation in the re-election in 11 constituencies has not been made yet, with regular consultations still underway. E. Mammadov voiced his confidence that the parties would soon arrive at a common decision.

Chairman of the Civil Solidarity Party Sabir Rustamkhanli told Azernews that further steps to be taken by the three parties will no longer depend on the statement on non-recognition of the election results that they signed together with three other opposition parties on November 14.

"We will decide only in accordance with the circumstances", Mr. Rustamkhanli said, adding that talks with the three parties in question (ADP, ALP and Musavat) would be a waste of time and the November 14 agreement should no longer matter.

PUBLIC TRIBUNAL ON ELECTIONS SET UP

The committee of human rights of voters has set up a public tribunal to investigate irregularities committed during the parliamentary elections, according to the Musavat leader Isa Gambar. He said Musavat would soon forward copies of falsified 1,007 protocols obtained from polling stations.

A few days earlier, Isa Gambar suggested to opposition parties to exchange the available election protocols, but no one has responded to the proposal.

VAHDAT MEMBERS GO ON HUNGER STRIKE

A group of the "Vahdat" party members launched a hunger-strike at the party's HQs Tuesday in protest to the arrest of 9 party members who took part in the Shaki developments. Deputy chairman Tofiq Jafarov has told AssA-Irada that the hunger strike will last until the arrested are released. "Vahdat" has already appealed to the Prosecutor's office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and embassies, he said.

ADP BURGEONING

The "Azerbaijan" party, established 8 months ago by Mahir Suleymanov, has ceased to exist independently and announced tie-up with the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP). The ADP Supreme Council approved the merger Tuesday.

It is remembered that after former ADP co-chair Ilyas Ismayilov and his supporters seceded from the party and restored the "Adalat" party, ADP merged with "Doghru Yol" party. ADP press-secretary Shahin Najafov told AssA-Irada Tuesday that 2 more parties had voiced their intention to join ADP. He said the names of the parties would be disclosed in 10 days.

OPPOSITION DISPLAYS LACK OF UNITY

Saturday's meeting of 6 opposition leaders, which focused on a need for unification, actually betrayed the exacerbating ambivalence among them.

Leaders of PNIA, Musavat, ADP, ALP, and Civil Solidarity Party (CSP) gathered at the PNIA head-quarters but never agreed on a final resolution. Of all of its items only one, the demand for president to resign, was unanimous.

Concerning the rest, however, including the demand for PFPA and CSP to officially reject mandates before December 9, the decision not to take part in a repeated election and to hold a rally on December 9, the opinions polarized.