Transitions Online’s Steady State reports that Mr. Eldar Namazov, a possible candidate in next year’s presidential election in Azerbaijan and the former head of the administration under Heydar Aliyev, has accused the Azeri government of “selling out the occupied lands.” By this, of course, he means Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding territories currently under Armenian control.

However, what was most interesting about the speech which Namazov gaveis that he accused the Azerbaijani authorities of supporting President Robert Kocharian in Armenia when they should be doing all they can to ensure the return of his predecessor, Levon Ter Petrosian. The blog implies that a concessionary peace deal which “favours Azerbaijan” is more likely with the first president in power again.

In Armenia, Mr. Petrossian is a candidate with democratic credentials, who is supported both by US and the EU. He also champions the “step by step” approach to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, which benefits the Azeri side more than the Armenian. It could be argued that the reason why Petrossian was overthrown in 1998 is precisely his approach to the conflict resolution.

Now USA pressures the current President Kocharian through its open support to the candidate Petrossian and through messages that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be resolved as soon as possible.

In fact, Azerbaijan will win more if Petrossian succeeds in elections, simply because he is for the “step by step” peace talks. HOWEVER, notes Mr. Namazov quite correctly, due to certain reasons, the Azeri media backs the Kocharian administration and portrays the Petrossian as the initiator of the war over Nagorno Karabakh.

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From my own research work I can surely state that Mr. Petrossian was completely against the war and was the main broker of all cease-fire agreements. The question arises: why does the Azeri government support Kocharian and not Petrossian?

Meanwhile, the same blog also examines Azerbaijan’s record growth and says that it looks as though the country will register the strongest economic growth worldwide for the fourth year in succession. However, a note of caution is also sounded. Economic growth recorded in just a few sectors also has its problems as can be seen by contrasting images throughout the entire South Caucasus.

According to [the police] in Baku there are 7000 BMW X5 and the cheapest X5 will find a buyer from 45-50 000$. I don’t believe there is another city that bears 7000 X5s, No way!!! May be only Armenia or Georgia could compete with us if they have had 37% growth. That is something special about Caucasus. Subsequent to police report I decided to count the Range Rovers the most popular car together with Audi Q7, both cost around 100,000$. During my break, which lasted 10 minutes in a not the most famous street of Baku I counted 6 Range Rover. Eh that are some facts about the country…Most probably 1 skyscraper is built in a day in Baku and 70 officially registered new cars brought to Baku. Now Baku is candidate to be the city where buildings are more than people and cars have to be parked on highways.

Eh is it really good? Of course and absolutely no are the two answers at the same time. It is good for rich obviously. Rich get richer and they find whatever they wish. Most popular song of nowadays is “kimde varsa pul life is wonderful” (whoever has the money life is wonderful). Eh it is really good too see many more fashionable youngsters in the streets. To have an option to fly in few directions within the country. That is nice people can easily go to Italy to have their summer holidays and it is good that people have a chance to listen Elton John and Jennifer Lopez in Baku. More importantly, now Baku is candidate to 2016 Olympic games and the country is planning to have world’s most expensive bridge built in the sea. […]

Yet the official inflation is 16%, but believe or not price of many goods are increased by 40-50%. I can easily say Baku is more expensive than Budapest and Istanbul. Almost in all spheres of economy; lifestyle, enjoyment, housing, cars, medicine and what not. Poor gets poorer now, rich easily buy whatever poor is pushed to sell. Pauperism is not something disappeared. IPD’s are still part of nation’s poor and 20% of territories are under occupation, though the military budged is increasing in an incredible pace.

So the country with 37% growth is something like, a space without parks but full of high skyscrapers, SUV parked on the roads because of lack of space; full of imports and Chinese people, I think we are gonna have a Chinatown soon; imitators of west in an ugly fashion; thousands of people loaned to banks; most trendy cars and beggars begging on their window; far from democracy and respect to human rights…Anyway to sum up in a briefest fashion I would say: the country with 37% growth looks like another Arabic country with Azeri population…

TOL’s Steady State is here.