The Co-chair of the left Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party (ASDP), Araz Alizade, said that over the past five years, the party has achieved more successes than losses.
“Many people used lack of financial opportunities of the party. In 2003 the party had more than 6,000 members. In that year we held an extraordinary congress regarding Ayaz Mutallibov’s coming to the party and after this, flow began into the party. The number of the members exceeded 26,000. They expected that Ayaz Mutallibov will return, take a post and help their advancement. However, Mutallibov could not return and those who came due to it left the party,” Alizade said at the 11th congress of the party in Baku on 27 September.
Alizade said that strange processes take place in the party. “Differences took place in the party. Both Ayaz Mutallimov and I made staff faults,” Alizade said.
He said that currently the party has more than 3,000 members.
Later, closed voting was held for elective bodies. Araz Alizade and Ayaz Mutallibov were re-elected as the co-chairs of ASDP. The members of the Central Committee and Central Control Commission were determined.
Ayaz Mutallibov, co-chairman of opposition Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (SDPA) and former President of Azerbaijan, who is in migration in Russia at present, is displeased with the activities of his party.
“The membership of the party has not grown over the last several years and we could not expand activities of the party,” Mutallibov said in the 11th conference of the Social Democratic Party by telephone from Moscow.
The 11th conference of SDPA was held in the headquarters of the party on 27 September. A total of 89 representatives out of 103 elected from over 20 regional and city organizations took part in the conference. The co-chairmen of the party Mutallibov and Alizade, heads of the Central Committee and Central Control Commission made a report. The leadership and elected bodies of the party were formed once again.
Mutallibov said financial problems have weakened activities of the party. “But we can address these problems by doing our best,” he said.
“When Bolsheviks began struggling they had neither financial opportunities, nor automobiles. But they struggled and won. We should work hard,” he added.
SDPA has no offices in many of the regions of Azerbaijan. Several regional offices do not do anything, he said.
As to the recent disagreements within the party, he said unity is vital for the party.
Mutallibov described it as “disrespect, violation of law and regulations”.
“I have never taken anybody’s side,” he said. /Trend/