Former ‘president’ Khajimba not to run in so-called snap elections in occupied Abkhazia
De facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Raul Khajimba (R) resigned yesterday. Photo: Russian MFA.
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De facto Vice President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Aslan Bartsitsi says that Raul Khajimba, who resigned as de facto president of Abkhazia yesterday, will not participate in ‘snap elections’ scheduled in the region on March 22.
Khajimba, who resigned amid protests in the region, stated that he made the decision “to avoid confrontations in Abkhazia and keep the republic united.”
Khajimba resigned after a meeting with opposition leader Aslan Bzhania late yesterday which was also attended by Deputy Secretary of Russian Security Council Rashid Nurgaliev.
The Abkhaz Supreme Court ruled on January 10 that so-called presidential elections in the region held on September 8, 2019 were illegitimate.
In the second round of the ‘presidential election’ in September, Khajimba received 47.39 per cent of the vote, while opposition ‘presidential candidate’ Alkhas Kvitsinia received 46.17 per cent.
Kvitsinia claimed the results of the ‘presidential elections’ were invalid given that per the region's ‘constitution’, only a candidate that receives 50 per cent of votes + 1 can be considered the victor.
People took to the streets on January 9 in Abkhazia, demanding the resignation of Khajimba and snap ‘presidential elections.’
The de facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, Raul Khajimba, resigned after a meeting with opposition leader Aslan Bzhania late yesterday which was also attended by Deputy Secretary of Russian Security Council Rashid Nurgaliev.Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Vladislav Surkov also went to Abkhazia following the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry that political unrest in Abkhazia was “an internal issue of the republic.”
De facto presidential elections in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia will be held on March 22, local media reported based on information released by the region’s “Central Election Commission” today.
State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said the safety of the population in the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia is the key priority amid current tension there.
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili announced today that she is paying close attention to the developments in the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia. State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili spoke of the situation in Sokhumi as well.
Abkhaz ‘opposition leader’ Aslan Bzhania will run in so-called snap presidential elections in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region after the resignation of former president Raul Khajimba yesterday.
State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said in response to recent developments in the Russia-occupied region of Abkhazia that the Government of Georgia is not only ready for dialogue with the Abkhaz and Ossetian public but is making steps forward.