VZCZCXRO4276
PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKB #0578 1341237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141237Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2989
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNOSC/OSCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS BAKU 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM PBTS CASC IR AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: PRO-OPPOSITION PARTIES HOLD SMALL, 
PEACEFUL PROTEST OVER SOCIAL ISSUES, N-K 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) On May 12, several small pro-opposition parties 
staged a peaceful, sanctioned protest over social issues such 
as recent price increases, salaries, and pensions; they also 
called upon the GOAJ to disclose more information to the 
public about the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations. This 
was the first sanctioned protest held by a group other than 
the Musavat Party since police violently broke up an 
opposition protest on November 26, 2005. Protesters included 
members of the Azerbaijan Way, the National Democratic Party, 
the Liberal Democratic Party, and various NGOs. Participation 
peaked at about 400; however, by the end of the protest, only 
about 150 remained. Police behaved peacefully, although they 
asked the protest organizers to cut off one particularly 
emotional participant's speaking time. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The crowd was comprised mostly of youth; the group 
did not pay much attention to the speakers and began to 
trickle out soon after the start of the protest. The main 
speakers, Azerbaijan Way Chair Ilgar Gasimov and National 
Democratic Party Chair (and former Minister of Internal 
Affairs under former President Albufaz Elchibey) Iskender 
Hamidov, criticized the Tariff Council's January decision to 
increase utility prices and demanded that salaries and 
pensions be increased to reflect the true cost of living in 
Azerbaijan. Hamidov also spoke briefly about the rights of 
ethnic Azeris living in Iran, and shared his desire for 
Azerbaijan to unite with "Southern Azerbaijan." Participants 
carried banners reading "No Azerbaijan without Karabakh;" 
"Free, Fair, and Democratic Elections," and "Stop Pressure on 
the Press." 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: We welcome the GOAJ's decision to allow 
this group to hold a political protest.  However, we remain 
concerned by GOAJ restrictions on freedom of assembly, 
particularly GOAJ policy on granting permission only for 
rallies in "approved" locations far from downtown Baku. Full 
restoration of the right to freedom of assembly is critical 
to Azerbaijan's democratic development, and will become even 
more vital in the run-up the October 2008 Presidential 
Elections. We will continue to press the importance of this 
with all levels of GOAJ contacts. 
DERSE