Opposition suggests roadmap to drive Azerbaijan out of crisis

The oppositional "National Centre of Strategic Thought" has presented an action plan for driving Azerbaijan out of the economic crisis. In particular, it is necessary to adopt a new constitution, and to hold early parliamentary and presidential elections.

The document "Roadmap: From Crisis to Opportunities" was presented on February 6 at the roundtable with representatives of oppositional parties and civil society.

The first direction, presented in the document, is a social strategy. It assumes a set of measures ranging from help to the poor and increase of wages up to reduction of unemployment and solution of the problem of population's debts to banks.

The second direction includes urgent economic measures, including the fight against corruption, creation of a prosperous environment for small and medium-sized businesses, formation of a free economy, and development of agriculture and tourism.

It is also proposed to release political prisoners, restore democratic freedoms and create conditions for free political activities of social organizations and mass media (the third direction).

In foreign policy, it is recommended to pursue the course of fulfilling the country's international commitments, integration into the Euro-Atlantic community, accession to the NATO and WTO (the fourth direction).

In the opinion of Iskender Gamidov, the leader of the National-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, "the ruling regime is unable to drive the country out of crisis."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.