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Friday, 20 September 2002
AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT'S SON TERMS COUNCIL OF EUROPE REPORT 'PREJUDICED'
By empty (9/20/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)
In an interview with the newspaper "Azerbaycan"Ilham Aliev, who heads Azerbaijan's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said that the recent report compiled by the PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan's compliance with its human rights commitments shows prejudice in several respects. That report notes a lack of progress in developing local self-government, failure to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the legislature, and failure to discuss with the OSCE the 39 constitutional amendments put to a nationwide referendum last month. It also expresses concern at reports of widespread procedural violations during that vote, and challenges official claims that over 80 percent of the electorate participated in the referendum, of whom 90 percent endorsed the proposed changes.
In an interview with the newspaper "Azerbaycan"Ilham Aliev, who heads Azerbaijan's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said that the recent report compiled by the PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan's compliance with its human rights commitments shows prejudice in several respects. That report notes a lack of progress in developing local self-government, failure to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the legislature, and failure to discuss with the OSCE the 39 constitutional amendments put to a nationwide referendum last month. It also expresses concern at reports of widespread procedural violations during that vote, and challenges official claims that over 80 percent of the electorate participated in the referendum, of whom 90 percent endorsed the proposed changes. (RFE/RL)