"Political parties must be state-financed in Azerbaijan"

Financing of political parties through donations and membership fees must be banned in Azerbaijan, chairman of the United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev said. He expressed his attitude regarding amendments to the law on "Political parties".

He thinks that this model is used in France. It would be advisable to use this model in Azerbaijan.

"It is forbidden for individual businessmen, international organizations and financial bodies to allocate funds to the parties in France," he said. "Even individual membership fees are also forbidden. Parties must be funded by the state."

He said that it is necessary to eliminate the dependence of political parties from individual financial bodies and international donor organizations.

"People, heading many parties, create non-governmental organizations," he said. "Then these NGOs receive fees from foreign donors. A party bases its activity in the interests of the organizations financing this party. It is necessary to prohibit financing the parties by other bodies."

He said that his party's position is that the state must fund only those political parties represented in the Azerbaijani parliament. The new bill on "Political parties" may be submitted at the autumn session of the Parliament for discussion.


/Trend/