State Policy of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (1945-1946)

Abstract

The Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), founded on September 3, 1945, in Tabriz under the chairmanship of Sayyed Jafar Pishevari as a result of the national-democratic movement in South Azerbaijan during 1941–1945, considered the participation of all segments of the population as one of the key factors in defining and implementing the social, economic, and political directions of state-building policy on its platform.
One of the main goals of the ADP was to fight for the revival of the Basic Law (Constitution), which guarantees the rights of nations and peoples. Thus, for the ADP, its members, and the social classes they represented, the first and foremost law was the desire to raise the issue of a provincial assembly (a municipality with a local government).
The activity of the Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) and the National Government of Azerbaijan, organized on December 12, 1945 (21 Azer) in Tabriz under the leadership of S.J.Pishevari, reflected the basic principles of statehood arising from the ADP's 12 Shahrivar appeals. Thus, the newly formed parliament and government were the political structure of Azerbaijan.
ADP has chosen Azerbaijanism as the main ideological platform in its national state building policy. It declared the Azerbaijani language as the official language of government and education in Azerbaijan.
In one year, more than 200,000 people joined the ADP. 69.5% of those elected to the governing bodies of the party were peasants, 8% were workers and artisans, 5% were landowners, 4.5% were intellectuals, and 13% were from other social classes. This shows that the ADP primarily represented and ensured the interests of proletariat.
ADP demonstrated the possibility of achieving an independent modern national statehood in South Azerbaijan by leading the 21 Azer movement and organizing the National Government of Azerbaijan. It instilled and affirmed the feelings of national identity to the Azerbaijanis in Iran, and formed their national consciousness; The ADP first confirmed the possibility of gaining national-cultural and even political autonomy in a multinational country like Iran, to achieve a federal state structure.