Presidential elections and the final argument of the Center of Cooperation of Opposition

The leaders of the Center of Cooperation of Opposition Parties, who called on the Azerbaijani population not to participate in the elections of October 15 of 2008, should also recall this thesis.

Today, we will try to conduct a detailed analysis of the causes and consequences of such appeals and also to discuss the better use of the potential of the local opposition.

About dictatorship and public marginalization

First of all, the time of political ultimatums in Azerbaijan has passed long before. It is now time, when it is vitally important to build really trustful, sincere relations, based on the observation of the national interests of Azerbaijan, between the existing powers and opposition, mostly represented in the Center of Cooperation of Opposition, which has made sufficient contribution to the struggle of our country for independence.

Unfortunately, we are now witnessing numerous facts, demonstrating the political apathy among the center members, caused by the sense of their helplessness in the face of difficult problems, distrust to their own potential, which they are trying to hide under the mask of sharp criticism addressed to powers, without noticing the really positive steps of the incumbent powers.

For example, it should be admitted that through the past 5 years Azerbaijan has not turned into pan-American or a Russian outpost in the Caucasus, unlike its neighbors in the region.  

Moreover, Azerbaijan manages to avoid the inclinations towards panturkism, which has already been observed in the modern history of our country, and panislamism, which may cause long-term stagnation in the life of our country and threatens with the lose of the independence of Azerbaijan, its transformation into a polygon for the armed confrontation between superstates.

In other words, there are numerous pluses in the actions of the current powers, which opposition does not want to notice. And now they urge the population of Azerbaijan to boycott the upcoming presidential elections.

This urge, demonstrates even stronger than any accusations towards our powers by adepts, that the parties and movements, constituting the center of cooperation of opposition, still have no realized the real difference between populism, as a factor, ensuring presence on the political arena, and a real struggle for democratization of Azerbaijan.

By calling on the population to boycott the elections, the opposition parties of the center, try to persuade the society that the citizens of our country do not influence the results of elections, which is a great step towards social marginalization. But it is well-known that the process of the marginalization of a greater part of the society means its decomposition and demoralization, that social marginalization is among the conditions of establishment of dictatorship. After this, do we have to take the announcements of the representatives of the leading opposition powers about struggle with dictatorship seriously? Moreover, is it right for an opposition, which speaks of the need to democratize Azerbaijan, to ignore the sacred right of democracy, which the voting is? And finally, are they right to discuss the need of building an influential civil society in conditions of their appeal to the population to boycott the presidential elections, while great Immanuel Kant once said: "Only an ability to vote is a qualification of a citizen"?! I think the issues are not far rhetorical.

From revolution to evolution

Times are changing and it is time for the local opposition, united into the Center of cooperation of opposition, to realize that both the upcoming presidential elections and any other elections in Azerbaijan will be recognized as legitimate regardless of whether these opposition parties have taken part in them of no. Fortunately, the number of existing political parties and movements help ensure a competitive environment and demonstrate to the world community that there is no monopolization of the right to be elected by the working powers in the country.

I have not even spoken of the political reserve, to which are attributed the unknown and young politicians, able to get access to holding normal political struggle by distancing from radical demands of change of powers, thus replacing all those political leaders, that have already fulfilled their historical mission in the life of modern Azerbaijan.

It means that the local opposition should use its potential to help the Azerbaijani powers in the construction of the happy future of our country. "Democracy can not be above the level of those human materials, of which its voters are made", prominent Bernard Show once said. This phrase should also be bore in mind by those, who tend to build a democratic society in modern Azerbaijan, where the overall political and cultural level of the population has reduced significantly. Therefore, there is a strong need for consolidation of efforts by the opposition parties and powers for the settlement of these problems for there are many highly educated people among oppositionists, loving Azerbaijan and able to be useful for their country.

How can this consolidation be held? I would offer just one of numerous possible variants: transformation of the Musavat party into the institute of political knowledge, into a freely functioning and actively studied field of modern history of Azerbaijan. Such disavowal of Musavat activists of their claims for power would neutralize the atmosphere of distrust between the powers and local opposition, making up for the Center of Cooperation of Opposition.

In the future, this step will allow involving Musavat activists to work in different ministries and institutions of Azerbaijan and in the national educational system. In the result we will get not a society, split by hatred, but wide prospects for the soonest settlement of problems, facing Azerbaijan, the soonest rise in the political literacy of the people, elimination of problems in the sphere of impunity of officials, ability of citizens to fight for their rights, for evolutionary and not revolutionary transfer to democracy, a substance for which there have been so much tears and bloodshed. This all must never repeat again...

/Day.Az/