NEW AZERBAIJAN PARTY

THE CHARTER OF THE NEW AZERBAIJAN PARTY

The Charter of the New Azerbaijan Party adopted in the I Congress of the NAP on December 21, 1999

I. COMMON PROVISIONS

Article 1. The New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) is a parliament type political party uniting citizens carrying out joint activity within frames of the Republic of Azerbaijan Constitution and legislation, on the basis of its charter and program by the aim to create a legal state, civil society, stable and socially directed economy, national unity providing azerbaijanism.

II. PARTY'S AIM AND TASKS

Article 1. The supreme aim of the New Azerbaijan Party is the strengthening of Azerbaijan State independence and securing by it a worthy position in the system of contemporary international relations, creation of democratic, legal and civil state, development of stable and socially directed economy, guaranteeing of all - sided and reliable defense of the persons' rights and liberties irrespective to their race, nationality, social origin, language and religion, forming of civil society on the basis of legality, firm social guarantees, social solidarity and prosperous life and uniting of humans around the independent state system.

Article 2. The New Azerbaijan Party considers the following tasks as main ones in order to reach it's aim:

- to unite around itself and to attract to the party work of Azerbaijan citizens, striving to take common efforts for creation of independent, democratic, legal, civil and socially directed state;

- to develop the construction of the state system on the basis of professional management and democratic principles, to prepare well - grounded proposals, programs and platforms for deepening of legal, economic and social reforms;

- to carry out broad political activity by the aim of reaching common esteem for legality, persistent guarantee for implementation of law;

- to develop society gradually and dynamically on the basis of staged and sustainable political, economical and social reforms envisaging realities and features of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

- to reach increasing of production, guaranteeing of citizens` well - being, realization of an active social policy in the country by the development of the market economy and free ownership;

- to develop the state management and civil society based on multi - party system, democratic power and political pluralism;

- to carry out independent social expertise of projects of laws and other normative legal acts, to submit proposals on their modernization;

- to render assistance for all - sided defense of person's right and liberties, honor and dignity, for the development of mutual understanding, credit and humanitarian relations between citizens;

- to reach the free development of nations, ethnic groups, cultures and religions;

- to come out from the position of defending of Azerbaijan State independence, social security, to work for development of peace in the world and for cooperation between states and peoples and for worthy representation of Azerbaijan in the world community, to esteem the international norms, to use achievements of the world civilization widely.

Article 3. The New Azerbaijan Party is ready to cooperate with social and political organizations, agreed with its main program aims and tasks and to carry out an open and good- will dialogue with other sides.

Article 4. The New Azerbaijan Party participates in all levels the forming of state power. It brings forward candidates for presidency, parliament, local authorities and municipal organs, government and other executive structures' personnel.

Article 5. The New Azerbaijan Party comes out for creation of all-sided relations with all progressive parties and social organizations of foreign countries and for broad international cooperation.

Article 6. The party in the person of its authorities carries out the following activity envisaged in legislation:

- submits proposals for development of state power and municipal organs;

- participates in preparation of decisions of state power and municipal organs;

- represents its members in the state and municipal organs, social associations, defends their legal interests;

- uses other forms of activity envisaged in the national legislation and international legal norms in order to take part in the political life of society and state.

III. PARTY'S ORGANIZATIONAL RINCIPLES AND RULES OF MEMBERSHIP

Article 1. The organizational activity of the New Azerbaijan Party is formed on the basis of democratic principles. These principles are the following:

- unity of ideas and beliefs;

- equality of party members' rights;

- esteem for opinion of each member of the party;

- priority of discipline and responsibility;

- obligatory character of authorities' decisions for all subordinate organs and party members;

- fully independent usage by primary organizations of their rights;

- coordinating role of elective organs.

Article 2. Membership for the party is individual.

Article 3. Each citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan reached the age of 18, accepting the Party's Charter and Program, irrespective of their religion, language, social and ethnic origin, by except of persons the membership of whose in political party is prohibited by the Constitution, could be party's member. Adoption to the party is carried out on the basis of personal application and decision of a primary organization.

A membership certificate on the same pattern is to be submitted to NAP's member.

Article 4. The party's member has got following rights:

- to elect to party's authorities and to be elected to them;

- to participate freely in determination of the party's policy and in discussion of questions touching its activity;

- to take part in measures carried out by the party;

- to submit proposals for realization of party's aim and tasks;

- to use the party's support;

- to discuss and criticize freely all questions touching the party's policy and all practical activities of its organs;

- to express his/her own opinion before or after the adoption of a decision;

- to study in necessary cases all party documents, including financial documents;

- to suspend his/her membership in the party or to leave it.

Article 5. The case of leaving party by the NAP's member is to be considered on the basis of the member's personal application. The application should be discussed in the primary party organization and according to the written information should be submitted to higher organs.

Article 6. The party member's tasks are the following:

- to render assistance in realization of the party's policy by his/her practical activity;

- to carry out the main principles of the party;

- to observe the party program provisions and to carry out an activity according to its organizational principles;

- to participate an actively in the party's work, to implement the party's assignments;

- to take care for the party's authority, to propagate its ideas, to observe the party's discipline;

- to pay the membership fee in the determined order.

Article 7. The party's members are obliged to carry out all provisions of the present Charter and to fulfil resolutions of its authorities. If these requirements were not met, the primary party organization and other party's authorities could take disciplinary measures in their regard, including removal of them from party membership.

Article 8. Decision on removal of NAP's member from party membership is to be adopted by primary party organization. The decision of primary party organization is to be come to force after its confirmation by the Board of district (city) organization.

Members of the NAP elected to the higher party organs could be removed from the party membership only by consent of these organs.

Decision on removal of members of district (city) party organization's Council should be approved by the Board of the NAP. The person removed from the party membership can appeal to Central Control - Revision Commission (CCRC) during one month period. CCRC considers the application of the plaintiff during two months period and approves or cancels the decision on removal.

IV. PARTY'S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

1. The NAP carries out an activity in all territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The primary party organization is the basis of the Party.

2. The primary party organization is created on the basis of territorial principle.

3. Decision on forming of the primary party organization is to be adopted by foundation meeting, where at last three members of the NAP participate and to be approved by the district (city) party organization's Board. A party member could be registered only in the one party organization.

4. The guiding organ of primary party organization is a general meeting. The general meeting should be held no less than one time in three months. The meeting is to be considered as competent if more then half of members registered in the primary party organization take part in its work. Decisions are to be adopted by simple majority of votes. An extraordinary meeting could be convened by the demand of one third of registered members or by the decision of chairman of primary party organization.

5. In order to guide the work of organization the chairman and the vice-chairman are to be elected in the general meeting of primary party organization. If the number of the primary organization's members is more than 30, the organization's Board, the chairman and the vice-chairman should be elected.

6. Primary party organizations unite with each other on administrative territorial division in district (city) organizations.

7. The supreme organ of district (city) organizations is conference, held one time in two years by the participation of representatives, elected from primary party organizations on the basis of determined quota. The conference should be considered as competent, if the majority of representatives takes part in its work.

8. A norm for representation of primary party organizations in the conference is determined in the meeting of Council of the NAP district (city) organization.

9. An extraordinary conference could be convened by the demand of one third part of registered members of district (city) organizations, or by the decision of district (city) Council.

10. The Chairman of district (city) organization, Council's members and control - revision group are to be elected in the conference for two years period.

11. The Council is a guiding organ of district (city) organizations during the period elapsed between held conferences. Its meetings should be held no less than one time in three months. The meetings of district (city) organizations Council are to be considered as competent, if more than half of the Council's members take part in its work.

In order to carry out current guidance on district (city) organization the Council elects the Board and the vice-chairman of district (city) organization. Meetings of the Board are to be held no less than one time in a month.

12. Chairman of the NAP district (city) organization organizes work on implementation of the party's program aims and tasks, resolutions of authorities, represents the party in the contacts with local social and political organizations, and government bodies.

If the Chairman of party's district (city) organization suspends his/her activity due to any reasons, authorities of the Chairman should be realized by one of vice-chairman's according to decision the of Board.

13. Two-third part of members of primary party organizations, district (city) Councils, representatives of district (city) conferences can re-elect their own elective organs and the Chairman expressing distrust to them.

The elective organs are responsible before meeting and conference, in which they are elected.

V. PARTY'S LEADING ORGANS

Article 1. Party's leading organs are the following:

- Congress

- Political Council

- Board

Article 2. Party's supreme organ is its congress, convened one time in four years. If necessary, an extraordinary congress could be convened by the Political Council or by the demand of one-third of party members.

The representation norm for the congress is determined by the Political Council.

The congress should be considered as competent, if the majority of representatives elected by district (city) conferences takes part in its work. Date, norm of representation and agenda of the congress should be announced by Political Council at least one month before the date of beginning of the congress.

Article 3. The Congress:

- hears reports of party's guiding organs and approves then;

- adopts party's Charter and Program, makes amendments and additions to them;

- elects the party's Chairman;

- determines directions of party's strategic activity;

- elects members of Political Council and Central Control-Revision Commission by number, determined by Congress;

- solves other issues, arising from party's Charter and Program.

Resolutions linked by Program and Charter should be adopted by two-third majority of votes of participating representatives, and resolutions on other issues are to be adopted by simple majority of votes.

Article 4. Political Council guides on party's activity during time period elapsed between held congresses. Meetings of Political Council are to be held in necessary cases, but no less than one time in six months.

Political Council:

- prepares the tactics of party's political activity;

- adopts resolution on convening of party's Congress;

- elects vice-chairman and executive Secretary by proposal of the Chairman;

- elects Party's Board, considers report on its activity and approves it;

- forms standing and provisional commissions, approves their regulations, co-ordinates their activities;

- forms Youth Union and Women Council, other inner-party structures and approves their regulations;

- approves party's regulations on district (city) and primary party organizations;

- determines main activity directions of the party in the sphere of international cooperation;

- suspends, if necessary, activity of local organs by submission of Board, dismisses and reorganizes them;

- solves other issues arisen from Party's Charter.

Article 5. Board guides on party activity during the period elapsed between the meetings of Political Council. Its meetings should be held no less than one time in a month.

Party's Board:

- considers urgent issues of party's internal life and policy;

- organizes meetings of Party's Political Council;

- comes out by Statements and Appeals;

- adopts decision linked by forming and usage of party budget;

- approves treaties, signed on behalf of Party;

- approves resolutions of foundation meetings on creation of territorial and other organizations and local branches;

- takes decisions on receiving of collective members to party;

- forms mutual contacts with government bodies and social-political organizations;

- approves structure of Executive Administration and its work plan;

- approves deputies of Executive Secretary by submission of Party's Chairman;

- solves other questions arisen from the party's Charter.

Article 6. Party's Chairman:

- carries out general guidance on party in accordance with aims and tasks of Party's Program and Charter;

- guides on Party's Political Council and Board;

- represents party in government bodies, local and international organizations, in republic and abroad;

- signs documents on behalf of the party;

- carries out cooperation of members to elective party organs in exceptional cases;

- if necessary, commission provisionally authorities to one of its deputies, or to executive secretary;

- fulfils other tasks, according to the party's Charter.

Article 7. Executive Secretary:

- guides on Central Administration of the party;

- organizes meetings of Party's Board, determines their agendas and guides on meetings if the party chairman is absent;

- carries out operative guidance on the party on the basis of work plan approved by Board;

- forms an executive administration of the party, which consists of paid staff workers, and also persons, working on the basis of contract;

- coordinates the activity of local organizations' executive administrations;

- solves party's current financial issues within the frame of approved budget.

Article 8. Central Control-Revision Commission carries out an activity on the basis of "Regulations on Central Control-Revision Commission" approved by Political Council.

VI. PARTY'S LEGAL STATUS

Article 1. The party is a legal entity. The party has got a round seal and stamp, where its name is written, its own symbol, other requisites, settlement account in the Banks and other accounts.

Article 2. The party's property could include buildings, installations, transport means, shares, securities and other property, which is necessary for the material guarantee of its activity.

Article 3. The Party's budget is formed in manats and foreign currency in account of membership dues, donations, subsidies, income gained from expositions and other measures, publishing activity, other incomes, non-prohibited by the law.

Amount of membership is determined by Political Council.

Article 4. According to legislation, party can possess its publishing house, printing houses, printed organs and other mass media means.

Article 5. Party's activity could be suspended by resolution of its congress, on the basis of at least two - third votes of participated representatives or in other cases envisaged in legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Article 6. If the activity of the party is suspended, questions on its property should be solved on the basis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Law "On political parties".