Natig Jafarli about claims of authorities to NGOs
The favorite topic of the authorities and state officials today is corruption among NGOs and their hostile activity, but these accusations are ridiculous and unfounded, said the Executive Director of the Real Movement, Natiq Jafarli commenting on the claims of Fuad Alasgarov, the head of the department of the Presidential Administration, Contact.az reports.
The authorities are inconsistent; on the one hand they speak about democracy and European values, and on the other hand, they condemn democratic institutions of anti-constitutional activities. “This is the hypocrisy and attempt to destroy the very foundation of civil society,” said Jafarli. Commenting on the accusations of Alasgarov against NGOs, which supposedly bad or wrong use grants, Jafarli noted that this is a problem relating to NGOs and donors. It has no any relation to the Azerbaijani authorities. “If NGOs receive funds from the state budget Azerbaijan, then the authorities could speculate on how right or wrong use of these funds. In this case, the authorities can only talk about taxes, “- he stressed. If we are concerned about government corruption and embezzlement of concern, let them pay attention to the construction sector, where the annual spend billions on repairs and construction. Instead of investigating the theft of millions of dollars, authorities intervene in the way NGOs spend funds received from the European and American donors. Such attention of the authorities to the field of NGOs, with only 2or 3 million a year, testifies illogical actions of the authorities, which in the long term, cause serious damage to the country, said Jafarli. Regarding allegations that allocation of grants is interfering in the internal affairs of the country, Jafarli noted that projects in the field of democracy and human rights is not interference in internal affairs, but a respect for the Conventions and the obligations that Azerbaijan signed. “Heydar Aliyev Foundation builds in Pakistan, Palestine, and other countries school, awards grants, provides charity, repairs and restores the Louvre buildings in Vatican. All this is done under the banner of support and protection of human values. But according to the logic of official Baku, there is interference in internal affairs. France and the Vatican have enough funds for their needs, then why the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijani government allocates funds for it? ” asks Natig Jafarli. |
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