The Republic of Azerbaijan is a democratic, law-based, secular, unitary republic. The only source of state power in the Republic of Azerbaijan is the people of Azerbaijan. The Constitution, approved by a general referendum on 12 November 1995, provides the principle of division of powers: the Milli Majlis (Parliament) exercises legislative power; executive power belongs to the President; and law courts exercise judicial power.
Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan – one chamber body comprising 125 deputies, elected by direct elections for a 5-year term. The Culture Committee of the Milli Majlis is the leading committee concerned with drafting laws and decisions about forming and fulfilling the state policy on culture and protecting cultural heritage. The Culture Committee draws up draft laws concerned with culture, including language, literature, arts, museums, theatres, cinema, design, architecture, urban planning and development, library services, archival activities and protection of the cultural heritage. The Committee also gives its opinions about the draft laws submitted already.
The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the courts of appeal, general courts and other specialised courts of the Republic of Azerbaijan implement judicial power. Judicial power is exercised through constitutional, civil and criminal proceedings and other means prescribed by law.
The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the Head of the state of Azerbaijan. He represents the state of Azerbaijan both within the country and in its foreign relations. The President is elected for a 7-year term by way of general, direct and equal elections, with a free, personal and secret ballot. The President appoints the Prime-minister by consent of the Parliament. The President establishes the Cabinet of Ministers to implement executive powers, subordinated and reporting to the President.
The Ministry for Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the central executive body implementing state policy and regulation in culture, art, history and protection of cultural monuments, publishing and cinematography. The Ministry for Culture manages the cultural sphere at a centralised and local level. The management of enterprises located in the regions (except for theatres and cinemas) is under the direct control of the regional cultural departments and indirectly under the relevant structural units of the ministry. Cultural institutions and organisations located in Baku, which are of national importance and non-duplicated (for example, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, the National Library, etc.), are under the direct control and management of the relevant structural units of the ministry.
The State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry for Culture was established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (№ 409 of December 18, 2014). The State Service is the executive authority exercising state control in the field of protection of cultural heritage, use of immovable historical and cultural objects (monuments) under state protection, their restoration, reconstruction, conservation and reconstruction, except for the territories of “Icheri Sheher” State Historical-Architectural and “Gala” State Historical-Ethnographic Reserves and other relevant areas.
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