Tbilisi calls ‘presidential runoff’ in Abkhazia illegal, illegitimate
As of today, only five countries recognise the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions including Russia, Venezuela, Nauru, Nicaragua and Syria. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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The Georgian Foreign Ministry said today’s second round of so-called presidential elections in the Russian occupied region of Abkhazia is “illegal” and “illegitimate”.
- 15 countries release joint statement condemning ‘presidential elections’ in Russia-occupied Abkhazia
Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia said these elections are neither recognised by the Government of Georgia nor the international community. He said the only purpose of elections in occupied regions is to “legitimise” Russian occupation in Georgia.
There is only one country, which carries out effective control over these territories and this is the Russian Federation”, he stated.
Occupied Abkhazia held “presidential elections” on August 25 to reveal the region’s new de facto leader. However, none of the nine candidates managed to overcome the necessary threshold.
Opposition leader Alkhas Kvitsinia is running against incumbent “president” Raul Khajimba in the second round of elections.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
- Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions on August 26, 2008 after the five-day the Russo-Georgia war.
- As of today, only five countries recognise the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali including Russia, Venezuela, Nauru, Nicaragua and Syria.
- The rest of the international community says that the regions are occupied by Russia and urge the country to withdraw its troops from Georgia.
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili condemned the so-called 'presidential elections' in the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia in a statement on Monday, stating the Georgian government was joined by its international partners in not accepting the vote.
Fifteen states have released a joint statement condemning the ‘presidential elections’ Georgia’s Russia-occupied Abkhazia region held yesterday. The countries have called on Russia to withdraw its recognition of the ‘independence’ of Russia-occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions of Georgia. Poland was the initiator of the statement the 15 states have released today.
“The so-called ‘presidential elections’ are yet another futile attempt to legalise ethnic cleansing, ongoing illegal occupation and factual annexation in the region of Abkhazia”, Georgian Foreign Ministry stated.
The opposition in Georgia’s western occupied Abkhazia region has stopped protests as an agreement has been reached with the de facto government regarding the date of so the-called presidential elections.
De facto incumbent President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Raul Khajimba has won the so-called presidential run-off, receiving 47.38 per cent of the vote, held in the region yesterday. In the first round of the so-called elections held on August 25, 2019 Khajimba received 24.83 per cent of the vote.