July 7, 2003 - 23:28 AMT
AZERI CENTRAL ELECTION COMMITTEE REGISTERED THIRD MEMBER OF ALIYEV'S FAMILY AS PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER
Azeri CEC registered the third presidential contender belonging to the ruling Aliyevs' family. It was 75-year-old academician Jalal Aliyev, Heydar Aliyev's brother who had been nominated by "the people of Sabirabad and Saatli regions of Azerbaijan" on Friday. As noted by "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" Russian newspaper, all three Aliyevs, namely, acting president Heydar, his son Ilham and his brother Jalal speak out with the same platform and intention to preserve the ruling regime. As the experts suppose, this combination has been planned for putting into the execution the "three in one" formula with single presidential contender in the person of Ilham Aliyev, whom his father and uncle would pass their part of electorate by the beginning of the election period. According to the newspaper, the work aiming at imbuing the election campaign with "Aliyev's authority" is being carried out in Azerbaijan now. "In the name of new Azerbaijan" pro-governmental public movement has been founded. Grandiose meetings of the representatives of different population levels expressing their support to Aliyevs' family members are being organized. Russian president Vladimir Putin's short-term visit to Azerbaijan is interpreted as a support to Aliyevs' clan, "NG" notes.