New opposition party vows to play active role in upcoming elections

In his first appearance to the media as party chairman, Asim Mollazada, a former prominent executive of the Popular front Party of Azerbaijan (reformist wing) and member of Milli Majlis (parliament), stated that PDR had already prepared an election program and will take part in the election as a party to the election bloc, Union of Democratic Reforms.

“We are ready to cooperate with all political parties and election blocs,” Mollazada said, “every liberal political force in Azerbaijan will be presented in the Union of Democratic Reforms.”

In respect of the programme and objectives of the party, Mollazada said that they represent the interests of the middle class. “We understand that maximum liberalization will give a new impetus to the progress in democratic reforms in our country,” the PDR chairman stressed. He also admitted that the strengthening of Azerbaijan’s roles on the international scale is directly linked to economic prosperity of the country.

Mollazada also clarified the party’s stance towards the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani ethnic conflict over Karabakh. “The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict [over Karabakh] must be resolved through peaceful dialogue,” he said, “despite what has been built by people, the loss of the Azeri elite or torches is not recoverable. We have to step by step strengthen economic sides, thereby reinforcing the army and getting an immediate shift in the process of talks.”