Chairman of the progressive wing of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Ali Kerimli

Ali Kerimli (Ali Kerimov) was born on April, 28, 1965 in the Saatli region in the Eastern part of Azerbaijan. After completing military service in the Soviet army in 1985, he began the study of law at Baku State University. During his studies he established and headed the Yurd (Homeland) movement, which supported the carrying out of democratic reforms in the country. In November, 1988, Yurd, supported by intellectuals, organized student protest meetings against the communist regime in Baku. The demonstrations ended with Soviet troops entering the city, dispersing students and introducing a curfew. In July of 1989, Ali Kerimli led Yurd into a newly created Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA) movement. He headed a party cell at Baku University and participated in the creation of the movement's charter.
In 1991, after receiving his diploma, he started to work as a teacher in the Law department of Baku State University. At the same time, Kerimli was a correspondent for the independent Azadliq (Freedom) newspaper.
In January, 1992, he was elected deputy of the chairman of PFA Supreme Council. In April, 1993, the head of PFA and President of Azerbaijan, Abulfaz Elchibey appointed Kerimli to the post of Secretary of State for the Republic of Azerbaijan. Elchibey was Azerbaijan's first elected President after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
After the coup d'etat in the summer of 1993, as a result of which Heydar Aliyev came to power in Azerbaijan, Kerimli submitted his resignation.
In 1995, PFA was transformed into Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), an Elchibey remained to be its chairman. From 1995 till 2000 Ali Kerimli was the first assistant of Elchibey. At the parliamentary elections of 1995, and then of 2000 he was elected a member of parliament.
In 2000, after Elchibey's death, APFP breaks up into "conservative" and "reformist" wings. Ali Kerimli became the head of the "reformists", the skeleton of which was made of former activists of the Yurd.
Since 2003 he carried out activities on creation of the bloc of opposition parties. In Spring, 2005, under Kerimli's initiative Azadliq bloc of three parties was created: APFP-reformists, Musavat and Democratic party.

A Skilful Player

Despite being relatively young, Ali Kerimli has shown himself as the most experienced and far-sighted politicians. After the APFP split in 2000 he managed not only to strengthen positions of "the reformist wing", but transformed it into one of the major political forces of the republic.
In autumn, 2000, during the pre-election campaign to Parliament Kerimli managed to convince the ruling regime of his readiness to compromise, and even cooperate with authorities. Despite falsification of the results of voting, he, as against the leader of the "conservative" wing of the divided Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Mirmahmud Fattaev, did not turned away the parliamentary mandate. On the contrary, Kerimli continued to show his readiness for a dialogue with the regime, and due to this had an opportunity to get into the Parliament.
The President of the republic at that time Heydar Aliyev expected to transform Kerimli and his supporters into decorative and obedient opposition. However, appearing in parliament the leader of the APFP "reformist wing" sharply changed his line of conduct. Henceforth he was the most ardent and uncompromising critic of the ruling regime.

Pending for Elections

Before the parliamentary elections (November, 2005) Ali Kerimli more than any other figure of opposition was exposed to the fierce attacks of the regime. In December, 2004, Vice speaker of the Azerbaijan parliament Ziyafet Askerov even recognized that from all the heads of the opposition the secret police pays the greatest attention to Ali Kerimli.
In August, 2005, his fellow-champion, the head of Yeni fikir (New Thinking – the youth movement of the APFP) Ruslan Bashirli was arrested. He was incriminated with preparation of revolt, ordered by the Armenian special services. This event allowed the authorities to accuse Kerimli of receiving funds from abroad, and a series of repressive measures against APFP and block Azadliq were carried out. The opposition claims that "Bashirli's case" was forged by the Azerbaijani secret police, which has an agent among his coterie.
One more action directed on discrediting Kerimli was announcing through the mass media of his interview to the Armenian TV channel Erkir Media TV. However almost at once, the representative of Armenian TV, which informed that Kerimli refused to give an interview, denied this information.
Almost simultaneously the Azerbaijani mass media hinted on Kerimli's "nonconventional" sexual orientation. Iskander Gamidov, the leader of Azerbaijan's National Democratic Party, allegedly spread the rumor. However, he hastened to accuse authorities of rough falsification.
Currently, Ali Kerimli, together with Isa Gambar, is considered to be the one of the main leaders of the Azerbaijani opposition. He expects, that the Azadliq bloc headed by both of them will receive in the forthcoming elections at least 75 from 125 seats in Parliament. In parallel, Kerimli acts as the initiator of association of opposition and transition from street meetings and demonstrations to political forms of struggle for power.

Foreign Lobby

Ali Kerimli is a politician of pro-Western orientation. First of all he is oriented on the USA and the Great Britain. During his visit to Washington in July, 2004, Kerimli established close relations with the representatives of administration of the President and the Department of State. He is supported by the representatives of both Republican, and Democratic parties (in particular, by Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright).
In November, 2004, Kerimli visited London where he had several meetings with a number of leading politicians of the Great Britain. From the beginning of 2005 Ali Kerimli visited many western countries, in particular the USA, the Great Britain, Germany, Norway, France, Sweden, and also Turkey. During his visit to Ankara in August 2005 he met with the leading politicians of the country. 

Related items:
Isa Gambar - Leader of the Largest Opposition Bloc (12.09.05)
Might-Have-Been Soviet Diplomat Turned into a Caspian Oil Owner (10.09.2005)

ELECTIONS 2005
Azerbaijan

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