The new history of Azerbaijan consists of the struggle to achieve republicanism, the form of governance in the advancing world.There is a consensus that republicanism is considered the most optimal form of governance in the political history of our country both conceptually and practically.

Republicanism, as a classical concept, is designed to prevent tyranny by establishing electoral democracy, promoting self-government through decentralization, and establishing a balance of power.. The main principles of republicanism are electoral democracy, self-government and balance of power (separation of powers).

As we mentioned above, there have been initiatives to strive for this advanced form of governance in Azerbaijan. These initiatives have been implemented twice, albeit partially. The first one was carried out in 1918-1920 and ended with the Soviet occupation. The second one began in 1988, against the backdrop of the collapse of the USSR and ended with Heydar Aliyev's consolidation of power.

However, in the two historical examples cited above, republicanism was not the sole political ideal.. In both historical experiences, the people of Azerbaijan fought for independence first against the occupation of Tsarist Russia and then against the occupation of the USSR. After independence, the transition to the republican form of government was the second goal. As a result of these efforts, Azerbaijan keeps maintaining its existence as an independent state. However, both attempts of republicanism have failed and, Azerbaijan is currently ruled by neo-authoritarianism.

The Third Republican initiative is just what the country needs. What distinguishes this initiative from the previous two examples is that this time the republican initiative is not concerned about independence. Now, Azerbaijan is an independent state, yet it lacks the principles of republicanism.. In this case, the ideal of republicanism is already the primary political goal.

Unlike the previous initiatives, the third republican initiative should be rooted in the core of republicanism, namely self-governance and balance.

In this light, we named our political initiative the Third Republic Platform.  We declare that our primary political goal is the formation of an electoral democracy based on participation, self-government based on decentralization, and achieving a balance of power.