Center for National and International Studies

FB Digest@VoxPOPULI

16.12.2019

The FB users shared news about signs of improvement in the state of health of human rights defender Oktay Gulaliyev, his son reporting that he started to open his eyes.

They also actively discuss yet another fire- just a few days after the one in EuroHome market – at the market of the 3d Micro-district of the capital in the context of “ the fire or the arson?”. Many comment that this is arson as the method of intra-clan struggle. The media is reflecting it often in the form of cartoons, or video interviews.

The activists, bloggers and journalists continue to discuss the issue of elections, revealing its clear controversy. Part of them suggest that the elections will take place by the “old rules” and as the civil activist in exile Rashid Hajili  said “The National Council did not boycott the elections”, meaning that whatever is approaching in December cannot be called elections. The FB users confirmed it: The National Council boycott the performance which is called elections. Altay Geyushov shares the article by the Commonspace.eu of 13 December 2019 and quotes with irony: “ It is said that upcoming parliamentary elections might turn into the most important event of Azerbaijani modern history” The Musavat party announced the list of its candidates for the elections, which include many popular activists and leaders of the opposition party. They also announced that will not have their candidate at the districts where the other opposition have theirs, but may have even two candidates in certain districts.

The leader of ADR movement, formerly Musavat member, an economic expert Gubad Ibadoglu informs on his timeline about his return back to Azerbaijan after few years of work in the US universities. He comments on the conference which he participated in upon his arrival “ Investment in Azerbaijan’s future: role of welfare funds in the country”: “ While the prominent experts and NGOs representatives participated in the conference, there was nobody to speak on behalf of the government or the international organizations. Although this could have been turned into a platform of a dialogue with the civil society, but this is our bitter reality.  The government is vocal regarding course on reforms and changes the cadres, but in fact its behaviour does not change and actually is getting worse. This means there are no reforms, but mere imitation…”

The Fb users share and discuss with concern the deportation of Azerbaijani controversial blogger from Ukraine back to Azerbaijan, some tying it to the official visit of president Zelenski to Baku. The activists, journalists and bloggers devote quite a lot of space to discussion of his views, with bakuws news portal for instance entitled the information about this  “The cursing opposition blogger was deported to Baku” ( as the blogger was widely using curses in his postings and videos). Many connect his deportation by the betrayal and set up by  his associate notorious “pocket opposition” representative Gurban Mammadov, who is running his TV programmes from the UK.

The FB users continue to widely discuss the US Congress resolution on Armenian Genocide. Some users consider it a wrong move, as it is purely politically motivated, and that Armenians should not be happy, supporting  this opinion by the negative assessment of this recognition by the head of Armenian church in Turkey, and stressing that it will only spoil relations between Armenia and Turkey. The political commentator Ilgar Velizade said, that by this recognition the US puts Armenia in a disadvantageous position. On the other hand, prominent activists, such as Tofig Yagublu have different opinion seeing this recognition as the failure of the policies of Erdogan and making parallels between him and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. He writes on his timeline: “ Erdogan by joining the enemy of the progressive world and  norms of international relations Putin is making Turkey the enemy of the democratic and powerful world… like Ilham Aliyev does…”.

The video with the popular young blogger and former political prisoner Mehman Huseynov who was campaigning in his district as the municipal election candidate and resisted attempt of the school director to stop him from hanging his posters on the school board by claiming his rights collected near 5 thousand views  and 900-predominantly supportive- comments.

The FB users continue to discuss the statement by the old once popular female singer Zeyneb Khanlarova, who after many years of being exceedingly loyal to the government MP decided to move to the US. They post various cartoons and collages about her. The journalist Shahveled Chobanoglu comments: “Today I spoke to the guy who is selling apples in our neighbourhood. He said: This is the country which Zeyneb Khanlarova escaped from, where should I go?? But he does not even sell apples anymore- he is unemployed”.

The e-newspaper Gozetci reports that the deputy head of executive power of Agsu region demands 500 manats from the house owners who suffered the earthquake.


December 16, 2019