The seven prominent Azerbaijani oppositionists jailed last October for their imputed role in the post-presidential clashes in Baku on 16 October 2003 and pardoned last month by President Ilham Aliyev launched the political movement \"16 October\" in Baku on 22 April. Former People\'s Party Chairman Panah Huseinov said the movement\'s primary objectives are to further democracy and the holding of free and fair elections, although the movement will not field candidates in the parliamentary elections due in November 2005, according to Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Secretary-General Serdar Djalaloglu. But Rauf Arifoglu, editor of the opposition newspaper \"Yeni Musavat,\" said that \"if the people want a revolution, we shall bring one about.\" On 21 April, a group of NGO leaders, including Sabit Bagirov, former president of the state oil company SOCAR, announced their alignment in the election bloc Public Leaders, echo-az.com reported on 23 April. They affirmed their readiness to cooperate with other blocs to support amendments to the election law and ensure that NGOs are permitted to monitor the vote without any restrictions. (Turan)