AZERBAIJAN: TWO PARTIES LEGALIZED, OTHERS DENIED REGISTRATION.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Justice on September 2 granted legal registration to the largest opposition parties, the Popular Front and the Social-Democrats. The two parties had recently introduced changes to their programs and bylaws to harmonize them with Azerbaijan’s constitution as the ministry had requested. These and other parties of the opposition Round Table alliance also gave up earlier plans to boycott the elections scheduled for November 12. But the Ministry again objected to the documents of several opposition parties, notably the Democratic Party, denying them registration. The ministry also sucessfully petitioned the Supreme Court to deny the Communist Party legal registration on the ground that it promotes the restoration of the USSR and Azerbaijan’s inclusion in that union, Interfax reported September 2 and 4.

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