Azeri Ecology Minister to Be Sacked Soon – Opposition Paper

Text of A. Akifoglu’s report in Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 1 April headlined “The minister may be a victim of the forest”

It is reported that the fire in a forest in Daskasan [District in western Azerbaijan] has given an impetus to “hitting” the leaders of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. More than 30 hectares of the forest burnt down to ashes in Daskasan District last week. It caused tension between different groups in the government. Even there are reports that some people are using this incident to attack Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Huseyn Bagirov.

It is noted that a criminal case has been opened over the forest fire in Daskasan District last week and an investigation into the causes of the fire is under way. It is reported that some people in the power structures wish to use this process to hit Huseyn Bagirov. They want to establish as an initial finding of the forest fire that dozens of trees felled in the forest in 2004 had not been taken out.

The fact that the forest was neglected for four years created a favourable condition for fire. As a result, a small fire destroyed a large area of the forest. More than 30 hectares of the forest completely burnt down. Reports say that employees of the Emergencies Ministry left alone the staff of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources due to certain reasons during the fire. It is known that Emergencies Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov does not have good relations with Huseyn Bagirov. It is also clear that Heydarov wanted to hit Bagirov, using the tense situation in 2005 [when some government ministers were arrested]. But Bagirov’s attempts of self- defence have saved him. It is said that there are still problems in relations between Heydarov and Bagirov. It is due to these problems that Heydarov’s men did not put even bottles of foam for extinguishing fire in the helicopter that were sent to the area. The helicopter only “sprayed” water over the site of the fire a couple of times.

Huseyn Bagirov and employees of his ministry did not manage to get the helicopter back. Nobody answered the insistent demands of the ministry. The result was that the fire covered a bigger area. The fact that the fire affected an area of more than 30 hectares is in the interests of the leaders of the Ministry of Emergencies. It is noted that they are using this fact to hit Huseyn Bagirov.

There are even specific preparations to sack the minister of ecology and natural resources. It is reported that the minister will be fired in a calm manner in the months to come. It is also reported that Huseyn Bagirov will be appointed the head of a private university, which is said to be his own, if he manages to defend himself after that. There are reports that the people who are supposed to replace Huseyn Bagirov are working for the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. Reports say that one of the people who is aspiring to take this post is Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Novruz Quliyev. He was once close to [the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev's brother] academician Calal Aliyev, but now he is said to have contacts with other circles.

It is noted that Novruz Quliyev has also managed to establish good relations with Kamaladdin Heydarov’s entourage. In addition to Quliyev, Huseyn Bagirov’s another deputy, Firdovsi Aliyev, is also said to have good chances to become minister. But there are reports in some circles that the head of the Baku city department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mursal Aliyev, has more chances of being appointed minister. This likelihood is stressed more because Mursal Aliyev is considered to be [first lady Mehriban Aliyeva's relative] Arif Pasayev’s cadre. That is why Mursal Aliyev’s appointment as minister is viewed as possible. Eventually, it is becoming clear that Huseyn Bagirov has turned into a target and open discussions are under way in the government to sideline him. In our mind, it will not take long to see the result of these discussions.

Originally published by Azadliq, Baku in Azeri 1 Apr 08 p 6.

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