PARLIAMENT'S INDEPENDENT AND OPPOSITION MPS WORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 001189

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUM PINR AJ
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT'S INDEPENDENT AND OPPOSITION MPS WORK
SEPARATELY TO CHANGE FACTION PROCEDURES

REF: BAKU 625

Classified By: ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JOAN POLASCHIK PER 1.4(B,
D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Two proposals for changes to the number
required for a faction in Azerbaijan's Parliament are on the
horizon. Under the Azerbaijani Parliament's internal
regulations, a party or faction must have 25 Members of
Parliament (MPs) in order to originate draft legislation. A
faction is also able to influence the Chair's decisions to
grant speaking time. One proposal, led by independent MP Asim
Mollazade, would lower the faction requirement to just 15
MPs; separately, opposition MPs seek to lower the requirement
to 8-10 members. A change in the faction procedures would
give independent and opposition MPs a greater voice in a body
which is dominated - both procedurally and politically - by
the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party. However, the competing
proposals put forward by the independent and opposition MPs
illustrate just how far politicians from outside the ruling
party have to come to create a truly effective political
bloc. END SUMMARY

MOLLAZADE'S INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT
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2. (C) In a meeting with Poloff, independent MP Asim
Mollazade shared his initiative to change the current number
required for a faction in Azerbaijan's Parliament from 25 to

15. He personally is frustrated by the current, faction-based
procedures for granting speaking time to MPs. Mollazade is
gathering a faction of MPs comprised of businessmen and
entrepreneurs. As of mid June, Mollazade said he had
commitments from 14 MPs, and was fully confident that he
would find one more. Mollazade gave a list of 12 of these MPs
to Poloff. The names included are:


1. Vagif Vekilov

2. Azer Kerimov

3. Cingiz Asadullayev

4. Anar Mamedkhanov

5. Ulvi Quliyev

6. Fuad Muradov

7. Asim Mollazade

8. Azay Quliyev

9. Rafael Huseynov

10. Rufet Quliyev

11. Azer Amiraslanov

12. Rovsan Rzaev

(Note: Please protect the names on this list, as Mollazade
stressed that it will not be made public until September).

HUSEYN'S PUSH FOR THE OPPOSITION VOICE
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3. (C) In a separate meeting, MP Panah Huseyn informed Poloff
of the opposition's plan to change the number required for a
faction. Completely independent from Mollazade's initiative,
this plan aims to lower the number from 25 to 8-10 members
required for a faction. Huseyn explained that under the
previous proportional structure of Parliament, the number
required for a faction equaled approximately six percent of
the body's members. That number in the current Parliament
would be 8-10 members, not the required 25 members. Echoing
Mollazade's concerns regarding speaking time, Huseyn told
Poloff that MPs are currently allowed only five minutes to
speak, which is only half of the time permitted by law. Even
worse, he continued, is that sometimes the full five minutes
is not granted, and sometimes debates are stopped before the
full number of speakers has been granted time. Huseyn
expressed frustration that MPs rarely get a chance to speak,
and that because of this, comments made by opposition members
are sometimes perceived as more radical or provocative than
intended.


4. (C) Musavat MP Nasib Nassibli told Poloff that Musavat
agrees with Huseyn's arguments and would support his
initiative, though he points out that Musavat (with four MPs)
is already an unofficial faction. Though Huseyn and the
Musavat MPs often work together, there is some discrepancy
over his party ties. Nassibli said that Huseyn considers
himself a Musavat party member, but that according to the
party, he is not an official member. In addition, Huseyn's
initiative will probably garner support from the "pocket
opposition," said to consist of MPs Gudrat Hasanguliyev,
Fazil Gazanfaroglu, Aynur Jamalova, Sabir Rustamkhanly, and
Iqbal Aghazade. Nassibli explained that this group is
referred to as the "pocket opposition" because it thought
that while these MPs present themselves to be members of the
opposition, they have strong ties to the GOAJ.

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COMMENT
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5. (C) The competing proposals put forward by the independent
and opposition MPs illustrate just how far Azerbaijani
politicians from outside the ruling political party have to
come to create a truly effective political bloc. Of the two
proposals, Mollazade's - to change the number required for a
faction from 25 to just 15 - is likely to be an easier sell
to Parliamentary leadership. Mollazade's rumored close ties
to the ruling party also could help ease the way for
incremental and less-threatening changes to parliamentary
procedures. The opposition - with just a handful of MPs -
still would be unable to form a faction under Mollazade's
proposal. At best, if the Musavat MPs, the "Pocket
Opposition," and other pro-opposition MPs all supported
Huseyn's proposal, the effort would only garner the support
of eleven MPs. While some of independent MPs may back the
movement to change the number required for a faction, it is
highly unlikely that any would go so far as to join a faction
created by the opposition MPs. A change in the parliamentary
rules of procedure definitely would give independent and
opposition MPs a great voice in Parliament and, in our view,
would help make Parliament a more democratic institution.


6. (C) BIO NOTE: Although Mollazade calls himself
independent, many believe that his is closely aligned with
the ruling party. Speculation persists that Mollazade is on
the payroll of Minister of Emergency Situations, Kamaladdin
Heydarov. Mollazade is seen at nearly every reception in
town, and certainly plays to his audience. At one Embassy
function, Poloff heard Mollazade tell the Israeli DCM that he
is a "supporter of world-wide Zionism and American
imperialism." It's not clear whether this was said
tongue-in-cheek.
HYLAND