Tbilisi condemns de facto 'presidential elections’ in occupied Abkhazia
Abkhazia and Tskhinvali have been recognised as independent regions only by Russia, Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns the ongoing “presidential elections” in the Russia-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia as “illegal”.
So-called presidential elections in #Georgia's occupied #Abkhazia region are illegal &fully contradict international law, while half mln IDPs &refugees are expelled due to ethnic cleansing, &Russian occupying power exercises effective control on ground.https://t.co/JasAsDm8cr pic.twitter.com/skthO116tJ
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) March 22, 2020
The Foreign Ministry said these "elections" fully contradict the fundamental norms and principles of international law and blatantly violate Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The so-called elections represent yet another futile attempt to legitimise the ethnic cleansing, the ongoing illegal occupation and factual annexation process in Abkhazia region”, the Ministry stated.
It further noted that the international community “unwaveringly supports” Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and does not recognise so-called elections in the occupied regions.
Two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have been recognised as "independent states" only by Russia, Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. The rest of the international community recognises both regions as integral parts of Georgia.
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.
The de facto opposition in Georgia’s Russian occupied Abkhazia region will demand the postponement of ‘snap presidential elections’ if their candidate Aslan Bzhania will not recover soon.
Opposition ‘presidential candidate’ in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Aslan Bzhania says that “there must be a dialogue between Tbilisi and Sokhumi.” Bzhania, who will run in the snap ‘presidential elections’ in the region on March 22, told IPN news agency that the format of the dialogue ‘is less important, or whether there will be mediators or not, the most important is that the dialogue brings positive outcomes.’
The international community does not recognise the so-called “parliamentary elections” in the Russia-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia. Earlier today, the Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned the Abkhaz “presidential elections” as “illegal”.
The European Union does not recognise the ‘presidential elections’ in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Abkhazia. The EU says that it will continue its policy of non-recognition and engagement in this regard.
Fifteen countries have reacted to the ‘presidential elections’ in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Abkhazia and said they ‘do not recognise the legitimacy’ of the so-called ‘presidential elections’.