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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Azeris assail 'fraudulent' polls
2005-11-11
Thousands of opposition supporters have protested in Azerbaijan under a sea of orange flags to demand a re-run of the weekend elections and call on the West to support democracy in the former Soviet republic. "If the authorities don't respect the will of the people and fulfil their international obligations, then we will demand the resignation of the government," Sardar Jalaloglu, leader of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, shouted from an orange-draped tribune on Wednesday.

The crowd of up to 15,000 people roared in approval and waved orange flags copied from the Orange Revolution in Ukraine last year in which huge crowds peacefully toppled an entrenched, corrupt government. Opposition leaders called on US President George Bush and European powers to back their fight for the annulment of Sunday's parliamentary elections, which were described by Western observers as fraudulent. "Today Azerbaijan is not alone. The West is with us," said Isa Gambar, head of the Musavat Party. "I call on Bush. You always say you are for free elections and democracy."
Posted by:Fred

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