Azeri MP blames West for destabilisation, defends referendum

Hikmat Babaoglu, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament and the editor-in-chief of the Yeni Azarbaycan newspaper, a mouthpiece of the ruling party, has accused the West of "exporting destabilisation and hybrid wars" to the Muslim east, the Azerbaijani APA news agency reported.


Noting that in conditions of the unipolar world, "current military and political processes serve the interests of only one country", Babaoglu said that "states on the other pole are falling apart by means of special projects or are forced to renounce their national interests".


"These military and political projects and hybrid wars that destroy national states are being developed in Islamophobic and imperialist centres of the West," Babaoglu said, adding that the West "manipulates global values" such as "human rights, democracy, and freedom of conscience", getting citizens of these countries involved "in the process of disintegration" of their countries.


The MP said that the United States and the West had formed a special network of various international and regional organisations and human rights structures, serving the interests of imperialism.


Babaoglu stressed that Azerbaijan intended to hold a referendum on proposed constitutional amendments aimed at ensuring the country's national security. He referred to the 26 September referendum on constitutional amendments proposed by President Ilham Aliyev that are to increase the presidential term from five to seven years.


"Being concerned about this, the Western imperialism launched an attack on our country, using the whole of its network ..., which includes radical opposition groups and numerous local and foreign 'civil society institutions" and 'defenders' of human rights," Babaoglu continued.


"All this is proceeding before the eyes of the Azerbaijani people, but our people are fully aware of what is happening. That is why it will never be possible to implement the destructive plan of imperialist centres," APA quoted Babaoglu as saying.

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