Caucasus press review (October 7-13)

Azerbaijan held presidential polls on Wednesday. President Ilham Aliyev was re-elected for a third term with about 85% of the vote. The Ekho paper of Baku said that the main argument of the elections was the ‘prose of life’. The life where the fight against corruption is judged by the efficiency of ASAN electronic service centers, where success of economy is judged by fullness of one’s pocket, refrigerator and wardrobe, plans for summer vacation and cellphone brand. People could see more arguments in the attempt to follow the advice ‘to try look closer and understand that if chicken from France and even Brazil in the supermarket was replaced by products from Siyezen and Buzovna, if yogurts and cream yogurt produced in Azerbaijani enterprises replace foreign competitors, there are certain workplaces and wise state investments, development of agriculture and other aspects behind them. The tiny layer of oligarchs is not big enough to keep all Baku boutiques and medium-end restaurants for the medium class afloat.’

Khalg Gazeti says that Baku hosted an exhibition called ‘Azerbaijan in 10 years. Socio-economic development: execution of state programs’ for the upcoming elections. In 10 years, the Azerbaijani GDP grew 3.4 times, non-petroleum sector 2.7 times. Income of the population increased 6.1 times. 1.2 million jobs were created. Poverty dropped by 6%, about 10 times, unemployment dropped to 5.2%. $132 billion was invested in the economy, trade turnover grew 6.4 times, non-petroleum exports 4.5 times. Production of industrial products increased 2.8 times. Progress was achieved in the fields of engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, furniture, textiles, food and other industries. Azerbaijan produces 750 types of military products. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline provided national energy security in Azerbaijan and gave it a bigger energy role in Europe.

The private sector has a share of 83% in the GDP of Azerbaijan. Employment has a share of 73.9%. 19,400 subjects of private business receive state credits worth over $1.5 billion. The loans helped create 113,000 jobs.

Azerbaijan built and reconstructed roads, built 207 new bridges and 17 tunnels. 4.9km of subway lines were built and 3 new stations launched. 5 international airports were opened in regions.

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According to Armenian paper Novoye Vremya, Vigen Sarkisyan, head of the Presidential Administration of Armenia, filed a package of initiatives to the commission for constitutional reforms, including ideas on the introduction of candidates for president. The proposal to discuss the issue provoked suspicions among political forces. One of the most popular theories is that the government has a suitable candidate for president who meets the residence qualification and the Constitution would be adjusted for him. The paper points out that, despite absurdity of the theory, the mass media were eager to take it for granted. The paper, quoting David Arutyunyan, a member of the commission for constitutional reforms, clarifies that the package of proposals presented to the Presidential Administration included issues based on common recommendations of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR regarding reforms of the Electoral Code passed in 2011. One of the recommendations was about the reconsideration of the residence qualification and possession of citizenship for 10 years. European experts say that the demands are disproportionate and that the qualification should be lower. With account of the fact that the qualification is set in article 50 of the Constitution, any adjustment can only happen via changes in the Constitution itself.

Arutyunyan clarified that the recommendations were made after the parliamentary polls of 2012, but the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR recommended no changes before the presidential elections of 2013. There is no guarantee that the initiatives will be passed. David Arutyunyan disagrees with suspicions that the idea to reconsider the rules of candidate introduction was voiced to make it easier for the government to promote the candidates it favors.

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Chechnya’s Vesti Respubliki paper reports about the realization of the local program for the promotion of young people in business in 2012-2014, passed within the ‘You – businessman’ Federal Project in 2012 to stimulate young businessmen. Chechnya will grant 14 million rubles for the program in 2012-2014, the federal budget will grant over 57 million rubles. Realization of the program takes several stages: popularization of business among young people, mass involvement of young people in the process. Special attention is paid to expert sessions, including endorsement of business trainers, to present business ideas and evaluations of chances for success by notable business trainers. Young people who learn the basics of business will get guaranteed assistance in business projects and help in strengthening their market positions by expanding access to financial sources and infrastructure support of small-scale business.

The article says that applications of 9,400 potential participants have been checked. 600 participants of the education program were selected after analysis of their applications, realization of expert sessions, computer tests and contests of business ideas. They underwent the ‘Basics of successful business’ course, training at small-scale businesses.

The Forum of Young Businessmen of Chechnya was held within the framework of the program. Participants of the program had training and master classes organized by leading business trainers of Russia. They took part in a contest of business projects. 150 authors of the best projects won it. 30 of them were registered as subjects of small and medium-scale business and received grants for realization.

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Karachay-Cherkessia is finding foster families for orphans. It launched a program called “I search for mother and father’ for the purpose. The Garmonia Psychological Center opened the school of foster parents in 2012 and has trainer about 200 people. The parliament has recently passed amendments to the law on housing for orphans and children without parental care to improve their living conditions and standards for accommodation. Their minimal housing area totals 28 square meters in apartments and 40 square meters in houses. The norm cannot be exceeded twofold. According to Den Respubliki, 1030 out of 1212 organs and children without parental care (85%) have found foster families. The regional data bank says that there are 151 children without parental care. Larisa Abazaliyeva, Karachay-Cherkessian Ombudswoman for Children, noted that the republic was developing a plan for the formation of family-upbringing groups at orphanages to make the children’s conditions seem as much like home conditions as possible.