Azernews.Az

The amount of the 2013 state budget allocation for political parties operating in Azerbaijan may be increased, head of social and political affairs at the Presidential Administration, Ali Hasanov, told Trend news agency on Wednesday.

"The budget opportunities are growing and expanding and Azerbaijan's financial position is strengthening, the more steps will be taken in financing the parties as political institutions," he said.

"This will help to improve their financial situation. Perhaps, this sphere will be improved in the near future. The parties will unite and following increase in the number of their representatives at the parliament, their financing out of the state budget will increase."

The fact that around 12, sometimes 14 or 15 parties are represented in the parliament, as well as low number of their representatives at the parliament, gives them no opportunity to obtain sufficient funds from the state budget, Hasanov said.

"I believe that this issue will be further discussed," he added. "The common interests will be found, and the mechanism of distributing the funds will be thought over in accordance with the legislation."

The 2013 draft state budget envisions allocating 2 million manats (around $2.4 million) to finance political parties.