Hikmet Hajizade: "A party leader has formal authority"

"There is no practice in the leading countries' party system that party leader and chairman are different people. The chairmen of the most famous parties double for leader," Nazim Ibadov, professor of Baku State University told the APA.

He said that sometimes co-chairmanship institute is established in order to reduce leader's activities; in this case the leader of the party becomes one of the co-chairs.

"Leading co-chair deals with common political course of the party and ideology, while other co-chair with current activities, organizing events. Sometimes parties are formed around a leader's personality. In this case, this person does not participate in the formation of these parties, he only supports it. For example, Unity Party for Establishing Republic around Charles de Gaulle's personality. Charles de Gaulle was not the chairman of the party, he did not attend the party's meetings, but was considered the leader of the party. There are no such parties now," he said.

Lawyer Fuad Agayev told the APA that there is limit for forming such parties in Azerbaijani legislation.

"The person who is not the member of the party can be its leader and nominate his candidacy in the elections. There are parties where the chairman is not considered its leader. In such parties the chairman is engaged in administrative affairs," he said.

Agayev said that the party regulations determine whether the chairman or leader is responsible for the party's activity.

According to the regulations of Open Society Party, leader is determined by voting and the chairman is elected at the meeting of the Supreme assembly. Agayev said that there is not violation of law here.

"There are no concrete demands on party leadership in the law on political parties. All of them are determined in the party regulations. According to the legislation regulations determine the party's activity, leading posts, authorities and other serious problems," he said.

Political scientist HIkmet Hajizade told the APA that there are parties the leader and chairman of which are separate people.

"Chairmen and leaders of the US Democrat Party and Republicans Party are different people. There are such parties in some European countries. Leader does not need post in the party. If he has post he can make people do something. But the leader has no authority in the party. Therefore, the leader should not be party chairman," he said.

Rovshan Rzayev, member of Parliament's commission for state building and legal policy told the APA that the legislation does not limit formation such kind of parties.

He said that formation of high posts of the party is regulated not by law on political parties, but by party regulations.

Representatives of Justice Ministry did not want to comment on this topic and new form of structuring adopted by Open Society Party. The ministry officers said they will express their position only after getting acquainted with documents of the party.