Etibar Mammadov

Etibar Mammadov
Head of Azerbaijan National Independence Party
Succeeded by position abolished
Personal details
Born April 2, 1955
Baku, Azerbaijan
Nationality Azerbaijani
Political party Azerbaijan National Independence Party

Etibar Mammadov Salidar oglu (Azerbaijani: Etibar Məmmədov Səlidar oğlu) (born April 2, 1955 in Baku) is an Azerbaijani politician and founder and leader of Azerbaijan National Independence Party (Azərbaycan Milli İstiqlal Partiyası), an opposition party in Azerbaijan.[1][2] Mammadov is also the Vice-Chairman of International Democrat Union (IDU).[3]

Mammadov has graduated with a Bachelor's degree in History from Baku State University and starting from 1981 worked as a professor at the same institution.[1] In 1987, he received his Ph.D. from Baku State University. He is claimed to have been Abulfaz Elchibey's protégé and was expelled from the university for his involvement in secret political activities in 1974-75. In 1988, Mammadov was one of the activists in Azerbaijani national democratic movement and was one of the co-founders of Interim Initiative Center of Popular Front of Azerbaijan. In 1989, he led protest movement. After the 1990 Black January events in Baku, he travelled to Moscow for a press conference but was arrested by KGB and imprisoned at Lefortovo prison for 9 months. He was pardoned after a public petition with 1.5 million signatures. In December 1991, Mammadov was elected to the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR.[2][4]

In October 1991, Mammadov split with Popular Front and formed Azerbaijan National Independence Party being elected the Chairman of the party in its first official session.[2] 1992–93 is considered the peak of the party activity with many intellectuals, businessmen, public activists joining the organization with overall numbers reaching several thousand. During the stand-off of Popular Front with Heydar Aliyev in 1993, Mammadov openly supported the latter. Mammadov refused the offer to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs once the office of the President was taken by Heydar Aliyev.[1]

In 1998 and 2003, Etibar Mammadov was a Presidential candidate, receiving 12% and 2.9%, respectively, thus losing both elections.[5] On April 12, 2005, Mammadov co-founded a new opposition bloc called New Politics (Yeni Siyasət - YeS).[1]

Mammadov is married and has 3 children.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Asim Oku. "AZERBAIJANI ELECTIONS: Etibar Mamedov - Eternal Oppositionist Without Any Chance to Win". Global Challenge Research. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 (Azerbaijani)"Etibar Mammadov". Adam az. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  3. "Hon. Etibar Mammadov". International Democrat Union. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  4. Buttino, Marco (1993), In a Collapsing Empire. Underdevelopment, Ethnic Conflicts and Nationalisms in the Soviet Union, Milan: Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, p. 194, ISBN 88-07-99048-2
  5. Panahov, Mazahir; Azizov, Eldar (Winter 1998). "Presidential Elections in Azerbaijan". Azerbaijan International. Retrieved 2010-04-07.