Azerbaijan clamps down on planned opposition protests

The tide of protests sweeping the Arab world have inspired opposition campaigners in Azerbaijan to try the same. Small gatherings and online campaigns in solidarity with Arab protesters have been occurring sporadically since early February. Now, using social-networking tools, primarily Facebook, youth activists have called for a day of action (or a 'Great People's Day') on 11th March to protest against the rule of President Ilham Aliyev.

Protestors are being cautious. Of the several 11th March groups, some are insisting that their actions will only be virtual. The main Facebook group declared on 8th March, somewhat prematurely that “The PEOPLE's Revolution is Victorious!”, indicating that there was little intention to seek such a victory on the streets. One of the organisers of the group stated that it was up to individuals how to show their commitment.

The organisers' prudence is understandable given recent crackdowns on youth and opposition activists. One of the organisers of the 'Great People's Day' was detained on 4th March: he will be held in pretrial detention for a month on charges of dodging military service. Other activists have been visited by police, harassed, or detained. Pro-government youth groups have organised counter-campaigns, and police have also made it explicit that any unauthorised rallies will be “resolutely thwarted.”

Nonetheless Musavat (Equality), the main opposition party, has also called for street demonstrations the following day, 12th March, although the party's support is fairly low. More concerning for the government is the danger of youth groups fusing with demonstrations on social issues elsewhere in the country. In late February protests were reported in Sabirabad, west of Baku, where residents demonstrated against the government's handling of floods last summer and its continued failure to provide compensation; and in Nardaran, a village north of Baku known for its Islamic piety, against power shortages and unemployment.

Aside from dispersing demonstrators and targeting online activists, the government's response has been a well-publicised anticorruption campaign. A long-dormant anti-corruption commission returned to work and dozens of low and mid-ranking government officials have been publicly fired for graft. Whether this will lead to sustainable progress in tackling corruption is, without radical changes at the top of the country's power elite, unlikely.

Nonetheless the government's fear of an Egypt-style uprising looks overblown. The online campaign is low-key and uncoordinated, whilst targeted harassment of opposition activists has disrupted attempts to organise the movement. Isolated protests in other towns are nothing new and can usually be tackled by a combination of heavy policing and promises of more cash and services. The cases of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya prove that nothing is impossible, but all indications suggest that Azerbaijan will be spared widespread unrest at present.

Sources: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Eurasianet, Bloomberg

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Azerbaijan: Elections fail to pass muster with observers

Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, which tightened President Ilham Aliev's grip on the country, were predictably given a thumbs-down by international monitors hoping to detect greater signs of democracy. In a statement, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) described the conduct of the elections, in which all opposition parties took part, as “not sufficient to constitute meaningful progress in the democratic development of the country”.

The OSCE pointed to the usual problems: lack of media freedom, absence of a free political discourse and deficient candidate registration. Almost one-third of polling stations were rated as “bad” or “very bad”, with ballot stuffing spotted in several instances. Azerbaijan has become used to this kind of criticism from the OSCE, but the country's leadership knows that the reaction from its key western allies, especially the US, will be muted.

After the last parliamentary elections in 2005, which were also criticised by the OSCE, the US expressed initial disappointment but a few months later gave President Aliev the red-carpet treatment in Washington. There appears to be an acceptance in the US that Azerbaijan, at least under its present leadership, will never embrace western-style democracy and that elections will be a sham. The next nationwide vote is scheduled for October 2013, when Aliev will, barring a major surprise, seek a third term in office. Will he exceed the 87 per cent majority he was given in the last presidential elections in 2008? Only time will tell.

In the latest elections, Aliev's Yeni Azerbaijan party increased its majority in the 125-seat parliament from 64 to 71 seats, with the remainder help by smaller parties and so-called independents who are largely loyal to the government.

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© 2010 Menas Associates

Iran-Azerbaijan sign transport and energy co-operation agreement

The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has said that Iran will increase co-operation with Azerbaijan, especially in the transport and energy sectors. He added that an agreement was reached after in-depth talks with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.

"Iran-Azerbaijan relations are more than relations between two neighbouring, friendly countries. They are relations between two fraternal nations. No one can interrupt our relations," said Ahmadinejad.

According to official statistics, compiled by the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, trade turnover with Iran totalled $167.26 million in January-September; $76.87 million accounted for imports from Iran and $90.39 million for exports to the country.

The two countries are connected via the, 1,474.5km long, Gazi-Magomed-Astara-Bind-Biand gas pipeline. The route is a branch of the Gazakh-Astara-Iran gas pipeline, which was commissioned in 1971. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is in the process of constructing a new compressor station in the Astara region, which will increase gas transportation to Iran by late 2010.

The gas supplied to Iran is used to deliver fuel to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic .Once the expansion of the gas compressor station in Astara is complete it will fully provide gas to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Source: Trends News Agency

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Azerbaijan and Russia sign another gas deal

Gazprom has secured an agreement to supply State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) with double the amount of Russian gas in 2011, expected to total at 2billion m³. Under the agreement, Azerbaijan is expected to increase gas imports from Russian even further by 2012.

The agreement signed by Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev is the third gas purchase agreement signed in the past year between the two countries. The first agreement, signed in October last year, provided for Russian purchases of 500million m³ of gas annually.

During a joint news conference on Friday 3rd September , President Aliyev said the gas deal with Russia was “open and sincere.” He also took the opportunity to reassure Azerbaijan's Western partners that energy co-operation with Russia would not come at their expense, saying "We don't see our work in the gas sector as an opportunity for unfounded competition. We are working not on the basis of political concerns, but economic practice".

Talking about the latest deal with Azerbaijan, President Medvedev said that both countries are serious, “gas suppliers,” and will not create obstacles for one another when it come to co-operation with international energy majors.

Source: EurasiaNet

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SOCAR keen to acquire Georgia's gas network

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has notified the Georgian government of its interest in the privatisation of Georgia's gas system, including the main gas pipelines, if the Georgian government were to decide to sell.

“We expect Georgia to decide its plans in the near future. If the country's government country decides to privatize, we will take part," said a SOCAR spokesperson.

SOCAR's interest in Georgian assets has been echoes by Kazakhstan's state oil and gas company, KazMunayGaz. While, the Armenian government, has shown interested in buying the Georgian section of the Russia-Armenia gas pipeline.

SOCAR has already purchased privatised gas-distribution networks in 30 Georgian districts and is presently developing its acquisitions. The company has an interest in a wide range of Georgian assets including the Kulevi oil terminal on the Black Sea coast and a network of petrol stations.

Source: News Azerbaijan

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SOCAR to supply 95 per cent of Azerbaijan with natural gas by 2013

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan's (SOCAR) President Rovnag Abdullayev has said that the company plans to supply 95 per cent of the country with natural gas by 2013.

"The rehabilitation of old gas systems in underway in all regions. The task of provision of gas to frontline regions by the end of this year is set to us by the president of the country. And we consider that 95 per cent of Azerbaijani lands will be gasified by 2013,” said Abdullayev.

SOCAR currently holds restoration works in 57 regions. The expansion works will ensure functioning of 8 compressor aggregates and the station capacity will grow from 1.2m³ to 5m³.

Source: News Azerbaijan

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