Azernews.Az

BAKU – The fight against corruption that has intensified in Azerbaijan in past weeks has no bearing on the turmoil in Arab countries, Parliament Vice-Speaker Bahar Muradova has said, dismissing allegations about a replay of Egypt-like developments in the country.

Muradova told reporters that people could interpret the ongoing anti-graft activities differently, but the measures being taken represent the Azerbaijani government’s policy. She said these steps have long been taken in line with state programs and "one should not look for anything odd here".

"There have always been people in Azerbaijan who try to bring about the developments ongoing in a given country of the world to our country or predict that those events would stir tension here. They are also trying to link certain steps taken by Azerbaijan to those events. None of those predictions have been justified. This is the view of the opposition, their stance, and it has no merit."

Ramiz Mehdiyev, the head of the presidential administration, convened an anticorruption commission in late January, after which several ministries held sessions devoted to corruption. Several officials and public servants have been sacked as part of the drive.

President Ilham Aliyev said during a visit to the country’s western regions on Wednesday that Azerbaijani citizens should more fiercely combat corruption, calling upon everyone to inform the Presidential Administration and other government agencies about all "undesirable cases, injustice and baseless demands", so that the government would "eliminate these shortfalls, cure these wounds".