The Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (Azərbaycan Xalq Cəbhəsi Partiyası) is the main opposition political party in Azerbaijan, founded in 1992 by Əbülfəz Elçibəy. It has split into two factions, a 'reform' version, and an 'original' version, led by Əli Kərimli and Mirmahmud Mirəlioğlu, respectively. At the last elections (5 November 2000 and 7 January 2001), the party won 11.0 % of the popular vote and 6 out of 125 seats in the Azerbaijan National Assembly. Its candidate Qüdrət Həsənquliyev won only 0.4 % of the popular vote in the 15 October 2003 presidential elections. At the parliamentary elections of 6 November 2005, it joined the Freedom (Azadlıq) alliance, but won only 1 seat. Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A political party is a political organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... ƏbülfÉ™z ElçibÉ™y, often spelled as Abulfaz Elchibey, (b. ... Əli KÉ™rimli (This name is often spelled Ali Karimli. ... Politics of Azerbaijan Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Azerbaijan ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... A presidential election was held in Azerbaijan on October 15, 2003. ... Azerbaijan hold Parliamentary elections November 6, 2005. ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Freedom (Azadlıq) is an electoral alliance of the Equality Party (Müsavat Partiyası), the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AzÉ™rbaycan Xalq CÉ™bhÉ™si Partiyası) and the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (AzÉ™rbaycan Demokrat Partiyası). It won at the last elections, 6 November 2005, only 7 out of 125 seats. ...

History of the Azerbaijan Popular Front

The Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA) was an organisation in Azerbaijan that united a number of informal public organisations into one, working towards independence from the Soviet Union.

The Popular Front of Azerbaijan was established on July 16, 1989 with the initiative of patriotic Azerbaijani individuals as a result of movement of Azerbaijani people for freedom, sovereignty and democracy. PFA came to unite a number of informal public organizations which were established in the 1980s to struggle for the independence of Azerbaijan from the Soviet Union. In 1987 Əli Kərimli, a law school student, became the founder and leader of one of these informal organizations - "Yurd" ("Homeland"), that inspired and led thousands of students to the main square of Baku city to protest against the Communist regime. As a result of this courageous step, a large-scale campaign of public demonstrations and meetings swept across Azerbaijan. Later the movement was suppressed by the special forces of the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Internal Affairs of USSR. Despite this fact, Popular Front of Azerbaijan was established and Yurd became an integral part of this movement. is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Əli KÉ™rimli (This name is often spelled Ali Karimli. ... Coordinates: , Country Azerbaijan Government  - Mayor Hajibala Abutalybov Area  - City 260 km²  (100. ...

In September of 1989 the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan (SC), under pressure from PFA and its members in the SC, adopted the law on "Economic Sovereignty of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic". As the result of an ongoing and unabating struggle under the leadership of PFA, the courage and defiance of Azerbaijani people in the face of Soviet oppression were recognised and celebrated across the former Soviet Union and around the world. In order to stop the growing popularity of PFA, in January of 1990, Soviet authorities sent the army into Baku city. Some 130 civilans were killed and 600 wounded. The main purpose of the Baku operation, headed by Dmitriy Yazov - Minister of Defense of former USSR, was to destroy the political structures of PFA. Some believe that the Communists' plans failed because PFA was a truly national movement and the event only served to strengthen people's trust in the organisation and spelt the end of Soviet power in Azerbaijan. Dmitry Timofeyevich Yazov (Язов, Дмитрий Тимофеевич in Russian) (born 1924), Russian military figure, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1990). ...

In 1992, Abulfaz Elchibey, the leader of PFA, won the country's first truly democratic presidential elections. A period of political, social and economic reforms followed. The laws on political parties, freedom of press, education and others were adopted. The country chose a pro-western liberal economic course and implemented successful monetary policy with the establishment of national currency. The most popular innovations were the administrative reforms and the reforms directed towards the creation of civil society. As the result of firm and consistent policies of PFA, Russian (formerly Soviet) army was withdrawn from Azerbaijan in April 1993. Azerbaijan became the first republic in the former USSR and one of the first in the former Socialist bloc which succeeded in achieving a full and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops. Abulfaz Elchibey (Əbülfəz Elçibəy in Azerbaijani; b. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

However, independent and pro-western policy of PFA government could not satisfy geopolitical interests of Russia and Iran and hence, with the support of these countries, former communists led by the former KGB General Heydar Aliyev captured the power. The president Abülfaz Elçibay was forced to leave the capital city. Thousands of people were arrested; members of PFA became victims of political terror. In fact, this was the second largest attack on PFA in order to destroy this organization completely, while the leader was out of the capital city. Although, at a later stage the new regime assumed a pretence of democracy it was clear that Azerbaijan once again was in grip of authoritarianism. The term Western world or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev (HeydÉ™r Əlirza oÄŸlu Əliyev in Azerbaijani) (sometimes transliterated as Heidar Aliev or Geidar Aliev from the Russian Гейдар Алиев) (May 10, 1923? - December 12, 2003) served as president of Azerbaijan for the New Azerbaijan Party from June 1993 to October 2003, when his son Ilham Aliyev... Abülfaz Elçibay, (Azerbaijani: ; b. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      This article applies to political and organizational ideologies. ...

Considering the dramatic and difficult situation facing PFA, Ali Kerimli took the initiative by leading and protecting the organization from the attacks of the new regime from 1993 until 1997 and restoring its political power. In 1995 with the proposal of Ali Kerimli and as a result of internal party discussions, Popular Front of Azerbaijan was reorganized from a social-political movement into a fully-fledged political party. In the same year, Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) managed to take seats in Parliament and Ali Kerimli became a leader of parliamentary party fraction.

In 2000, after the death of PFPA Chairman and ex-president A. Elchibey, Ali Kerimli was elected Chairman of the Party. In 2000 parliament elections PFPA took seats again and Ali Kerimli was elected the leader of the opposition fraction in parliament.

2003 Presidential elections in Azerbaijan were marred by vote-rigging and fell far short of the most basic international norms and standards.^{[citation needed]} They were followed by another wave of repressions against the opposition. Despite this PFPA has recovered quickly and is rapidly emerging as a powerful opposition center. An election is a process in which a vote is held to choose amongst candidates to fill an office, or amongst political parties offering a slate of potential office holders for a house of representatives. ...

As 45 percent of the population of Azerbaijan is living under the level of absolute poverty, the major goal of PFPA is to accelerate economic, political, social and legal reforms, based on European principles. ^{[citation needed]}

A major objective of PFPA is to promote a liberal model of economic development by implementing a comprehensive anti-corruption programme, rapidly developing non-oil sectors of the economy and creating an ideal climate for foreign and domestic investment through establishment of a flexible tax regime and other relevant measures. PFPA takes pride in their commitment to social justice and development of sustainable social security and welfare policies is a major priority. PFPA seeks an active integration of Azerbaijan into EU and NATO. PFPA sees the future of Azerbaijan in the Euro-Atlantic community. However, it is impossible to accomplish these reforms with the old team of the current regime that has been in place practically unchanged since 1993. Social security primarily refers to social welfare service concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. ... This article is about the military alliance. ...

Consequently, PFPA first suggested and then proclaimed the unification of opposition as the surest means to free and fair elections. On 18 March 2005 Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) has signed an agreement with other opposition parties on the establishment of a united opposition bloc – "Freedom" - for the participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections in November 2005. is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official Party Website

v • d • e Political parties in Azerbaijan

New Azerbaijan Party - Musavat - Azerbaijan Popular Front Party - Azerbaijan Democratic Party - Motherland Party - Civic Solidarity Party - Azerbaijan Hope Party - Azerbaijan Social Prosperity Party - Azerbaijan Political Party of Democratic Reforms - Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party - Great Order Party - Civil Union Party - Virtue Party - Justice Party - Azerbaijan Communist Party - Modern Equality Party - Azerbaijan National Democrat Party - National Unity - Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party - Islamic Party of Azerbaijan