NCDF calls on Azerbaijani citizens to hold mass actions against amendments to Constitution

On August 5, the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) made a statement, in which it gave an assessment of the upcoming referendum on constitutional amendments to be held on September 26.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 18, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev signed a resolution to send to the Constitutional Court the draft of the Act on referendum on amendments to the Constitution. On July 25, the Constitutional Court approved holding of a referendum, and it was scheduled for September 26.

"The whole initiative to nominate the Act on referendum has been carried out in gross violation of the Azerbaijani laws," believe the authors of the statement.

Despite the significance of the proposed amendments, no public discussion took place. The people of Azerbaijan are deprived of free will, the statement claims.

According to the authors of the statement, the amendments introduced for the referendum may restrict the rights of the people of Azerbaijan. In particular, the amendments afford grounds to seizure of private property, forced deprivation of citizenship, and restrictions for collection of information about third parties that would impede investigative journalism.

In its statement, the NCDF states that it is possible to prevent the introduction of the amendments to the Constitution through holding peaceful mass rallies and demonstrations. The NCDF calls on citizens and all political forces to start peaceful actions of protest.

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