Azernews.Az

BAKU – The election bloc of two main Azerbaijani political parties has announced its platform for the November 7 parliamentary elections that envisions efforts "for drastic changes" in the country.

Isa Gambar, the leader of Musavat party, which is included in the bloc along with the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), has said the title of the platform reflects the need for substantial changes in Azerbaijan.

Along with the two parties, the APFP-Musavat bloc comprises some public figures and influential politicians supporting its position.

APFP-Musavat is running for the elections with calls for "Freedom to Karabakh", "Food for the poor", "Jobs for the jobless", "Conditions for businessmen", "Gas, electricity and water to every home" and "Inviolability of every citizen’s property".

APFP chairman Ali Karimli says that the opposition has "an alternative" to pro-government candidates in 40 percent of the 125 election constituencies.

"In the other 60 percent, there is either no alternative or its merely formal. In other words, even if all opposition nominees are elected to parliament, the incumbent authorities will still win the elections."

37 APFP-Musavat candidates are running for the elections.

Karimli accused some international organizations of lobbying for the government’s cause, saying this support would be exposed.

Karimli further voiced discontent with the conditions provided for pre-election campaigning.

"This election differs from previous ones with its adversities," he claimed. "Our candidates are not being allowed to get an election headquarters, and even when this happens, they immediately shut those headquarters. Landowners are being kept in fear so that they wouldn’t grant offices to opposition representatives. They don’t let us hang up our placards either. We are facing unequal conditions."

Voters will elect 125 members of parliament for a five-year term, under the majority of votes with one round of voting. The number of registered voters is about 4.8 million in the country of 9 million people.