Trend News interview with NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert Simmons.
Question: What is your opinion on the activity of Azerbaijan with regards to Individual Partnership Action Plan?

Azerbaijan is an active and very valuable Partner of the Alliance. Azerbajiani troops stand side-by-side with those of NATO as part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and the Azerbaijani contingent in that force was recently increased. Azerbaijan is also engaged in wide-ranging cooperation with NATO and individual NATO countries to undertake a thorough reform of its defense and security sector institutions. This is a long-term effort which is conducted in the framework of the Individual Partnership Action Plan that you refer to, mr. Novruzov. Azerbaijan has been making good progress in many aspects of these reforms, but, of course, there still remains a lot of work to do. We want to continue to assist Azerbaijan in this process and we are working very closely with our Azerbaijani partners from the various ministries and agencies to assist them in the accomplishment of their reform goals.

Question: What is your estimation of the reforms in military forces of Azerbaijan? Do these reforms correspond to the NATO standards? Are these reforms necessary in the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan really?

The complaint will be examined on December 17. Next meeting of the Constitutional Court Chamber was held. The chamber examined the complaint of Citizen Khalilov Khalil Vahab and pronounced judgment on its execution by the Constitutional Court under the article 130, paragraph 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the article 7.1 of the Law about the Constitutional Court. The compliant will be examined on December 17 at the Plenum of the Constitutional Court with the participation of both sides.

“So far the meetings were held with the leadership of the Democratic and Social-Democratic parties. Today, we will appeal to the Adalat and Liberal parties,” Vahid Nazarov, a member of the initiative group and deputy chairman of the Liberal and Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (LDPA), said to Trend News. The parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan had been held on the mixed system – majority and proportional, to 2002. The proportional election system was cancelled and replaced by the majority election system by a referendum held in 2002.
In November, the opposition LDPA created an initiative group to restore the proportional system. Group unites 55 members. Group proposes other parties to join the campaign to collect signatures in order to restore the proportional election system. If the initiative to be supported, 600,000 signatures will be collected and submitted to the Central Elections Commission (CEC). After approval of signatures CEC will present the document to the Parliament.
Several MPs, which represent the governing New Azerbaijan parliament, also support the initiative to restore the proportional election system.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe believes that destruction of historical monuments on the occupied territory of Azerbaijan is a “blow to Europe and the entire world”. “Destruction of historical monuments on the occupied territory of Azerbaijan is a blow not only to Azerbaijan but also Europe and the entire world,” CE Secretary General Terry Davis said in Baku on 2 December. CE Secretary General regretted delaying of a visit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Mission on Culture, Cultural and Natural Heritage to Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan requested PACE to send the cultural heritage mission to the occupied territory to examine the remaining in these regions historical and cultural monuments of the country.

Exclusive interview with Gianni Buquicchio, Secretary of the Venice Commission, with Trend News.
- Changes and supplements were made to the Electoral Code and Law on Freedom of Assembly prior to the October presidential election in Azerbaijan. How do you assess use of these laws in the election?
- As to the technical sides of conduct of election, we can say that we are satisfied. The work that we carried out with the Azerbaijani government yielded results. The Central Election Commission (CEC) and its members involved in the election process fulfilled their responsibilities. We rendered a specific assistance through an expert specialized at election right. The expert worked at the CEC for a month and I think it was useful. As you know, there were some critics towards election campaign. In fact, we did not welcome changes to the Electoral Code stipulating reduction in the term of election campaign. This discouraged some opposition leaders to take part in the election. The opposition was not really represented in the election. This is a problem. But, unfortunately, the opposition did not take part in the presidential election. This is not a responsible approach. The election legislation is good enough. It can be further improved. If Azerbaijani government wants, the Venice Commission can continue to work on the Electoral Code in future. As a legislative text, the Code could have enabled to hold democratic and free election. I think the opposition could have attempted to take part in the election. Both the government and opposition should play their own role. The opposition should have gained consensus of voters by taking part in the election. This is my assessment about situation after the election. The Venice Commission is prepared to cooperate with Azerbaijan to improve legislative framework. The legislation in Azerbaijan is going to be improved to a great degree. There is much progress in this respect. But the mentality prevents right introduction of a new legislation.

The General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan has held a collegial meeting on November 28. The meeting focused on the awarding of a group of prosecution officers “Azerbaijani Flag” order for their activities under order of President İlham Aliyev and implementation of the State Program for modernization of the activity of Azerbaijan Republican Prosecutor’s Office in 2009-2011 approved by the presidential order dated September 27, 2008, Lent.az informed.