So-called “election” in breakaway Abkhazia illegal, says Council of Europe Congress

President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Gudrun Mosler-Tornströom condemns the so-called "elections” held on March 12 by Russia-backed de-facto leadership controlling Georgia's Abkhazia region.

"The "de facto" authorities of the Abkhazia region in Georgia have just held elections. In the meantime, the self-proclaimed "President" of South Ossetia has announced that a referendum will be held in April on the name to be given to this region. These initiatives are illegal and will do nothing to help restore Georgia's legitimate sovereignty over these two regions, but will just contribute to further isolating these regions from the international community”, she said.

"The Congress of the Council of Europe has always shown its commitment to the territorial integrity of member states and we believe that this integrity is the first guarantee of a positive development of the regional dimension in our countries".

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is the pan-European political assembly representing local and regional authorities from the 47 member states of the Council of Europe.

The so-called "parliamentary elections” held in breakaway, Russian-backed Abkhazia 10 days ago was also denounced by the United States Embassy in Georgia, NATO, the European Union, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Romania and Azerbaijan.

Tbilisi says that "elections” in Abkhazia is "yet another attempt at legitimising the consequences of several waves of ethnic cleansing, military invasion, occupation and lasting aggression by Russia against Georgian statehood”.

Only four countries recognise Georgia’s breakaway regions – Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) - as independent republics; these are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru.